Nevada Nesmith
by Erin T. Aardvark
Summary: The Fraggles discover the Silly Creatures go exploring, and they get to meet one when he accidentally falls into Fraggle Rock after an earthquake.
1. The Explorer

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story came from a movie poster spoof I did entitled "Nevada Nesmith Down in Fraggle Rock." I had done several "Nevada Nesmith" movie poster spoofs before this one, but this is the first time I'm writing a fanfic to go with it. Part of this was also inspired by the movie "Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird." Anyway, all Fraggles, Doc, and Sprocket belong to Jim Henson and the Jim Henson Company, Jerry Crystal, and any other "Silly Creatures" belong to me, and Nevada Nesmith is an expy of Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, so make of that what you will (hopefully, you make that I'm a Monkees fan). And if anyone has any questions about this fanfic, please send me a personal message so I can respond._

* * *

Down in Fraggle Rock, all the Fraggles were playing about. Some were singing songs, some were swimming in the pond, some were munching on Doozer sticks, and some were involved in their own activities, such as the Fraggle Five. Mokey was in her cave, painting a portrait of her pet plant, Lanford. Boober was doing the laundry. Red was practicing her diving at the pond, and splashing everyone nearby (they didn't mind it). Gobo and Wembley were going up into Outer Space to retrieve the latest postcard from Gobo's Uncle Traveling Matt.

"Do you ever wonder what's beyond Outer Space, Gobo?" Wembley asked.

"All the time," Gobo said. "But I don't know if I'd want to go out there just yet. That's why Uncle Traveling Matt sends us postcards."

"Yeah," Wembley said. "I wonder what beyond Outer Space looks like?"

"You've seen the pictures on the postcard Uncle Matt sends."

"I know, but I wonder what it looks like in person?"

"Forget it, Wembley. You're too scared to go into Outer Space with me, you know that. And if you're too scared for Outer Space, what makes you think you can tackle what's beyond Outer Space?"

"Yeah, well, I guess that's true."

Gobo looked out the hole to Outer Space. There he saw the Silly Creature, Jerome "Doc" Crystal, tinkering with something, and the Hairy Beast, Sprocket (Doc's dog), sleeping in his basket. Gobo was about to venture out when there was suddenly a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Doc asked. There was another knock, as Doc put his tinkering down, and walked over to the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" he shouted. "Hold your horses!"

Doc opened the door, and found two young men standing there. The taller of the two looked to be in his mid-twenties, with black hair and brown eyes. He wore a brown leather jacket, khakis, dark brown ankle boots, and a brown fedora, with a whip attached to his belt. The shorter of the two was in his late twenties. He had dark brown hair, and brown eyes, and wore a red and white baseball shirt (no logo), blue jeans, white sneakers, and carried a camera case over his shoulder.

"Surprise!" they both shouted. Sprocket began barking. He jumped up, and nearly knocked the shorter young man off his feet.

"Whoa, take it easy, Sprocket!" he shouted.

"Jerry, what are you doing here?" Doc asked. "Why didn't you call me?"

"Now if I called you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it, Grandpa?" the shorter man, Jerry Crystal, said, as he walked inside. "Oh, this is my friend, Nevada Nesmith. Nev, this is my grandfather, Jerome Crystal."

"Hello, Nevada," Doc said, shaking the taller man's hand. "Very please to meet you. Please, call me Doc, everyone does."

"If that's the case, then, what's up, Doc?" Nevada said, with a laugh. Doc noticed he spoke with a distinct Texas drawl.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Doc said, "but is your accent Texan?"

"Yeah, that's right," Nevada said. "I'm a native Texan."

"Then why is your name Nevada?" Doc asked.

"Because Texas Nesmith doesn't have the right ring to it," Nevada said. "Now, if my last name was Taylor, then I'd use Texas, but since my last name is Nesmith, I went with Nevada. Sounds better."

"I see," Doc said, though he wasn't sure if he understood. Sprocket cocked his head to the side. He wasn't sure he understood that explanation, either.

"So, Jerry, what brings you and Nevada here to our neck of the woods?" Doc asked, as he and Sprocket stepped aside to allow the two young men to come in.

"We heard that somebody found a cave opening in a pile of rocks near the park," Jerry said. "And Nev just _has_ to be the first one to venture into unknown territory."

"Oh yes, I remember now," Doc said. "This is the friend that's the . . . . what did you call it?"

"Adventurer, explorer, and treasure hunter," Nevada explained, giving Sprocket a scratch behind his ears. "I explore it, Jer photographs it. There was the time when I was in the middle east, lookin' for this famed treasure of Persia . . . . that one was a doozy of an adventure, let me tell ya! I was chased by guards with scimitars, faced deadly cobras, once I nearly got my head lopped off . . . ."

"I can only hope _you_ don't partake in these adventures, Jerry!" Doc shouted. "After all, you _are_ my only grandson, _and_ my namesake!"

"Who me?" Jerry asked. "No way, Grandpa. I may go with Nev to these far off destinations, but I stay where it's safe! You couldn't get me to go spelunking in a cave like he does! And this trip will seem tame compared to some of his other escapades! Tell him about the Eye of the Tiger, Nev."

Doc groaned. It was about all he could do. Even though he didn't seem enthusiastic about the conversation, Gobo sure was.

"Wow, can you believe it, Wembley?" he asked. "Silly Creatures go exploring, too!"

"Yeah," Wembley said. "I didn't know they did that. And this one's adventures sound a lot more scary than your uncle's! We'd better get that postcard and go, okay, Gobo?"

"Yeah, in a minute, Wembley, I want to hear the rest of this story."

Gobo was riveted by the stories this Nevada Nesmith was weaving. So was Wembley, except he was getting more nervous by the second. These were scarier than the Storyteller's tale of the Terrible Tunnel.

"Well, as adventurous as all of that may seem, boys," Doc said, "I don't think it's going to be a good idea to go exploring in that particular cave."

"What makes you say that, Doc?" Nevada asked.

"Well, we've been dealing with some minor tremors around here lately," Doc said. "As a matter of fact, that's how come there's a cave near the park. A small earthquake broke open those rocks."

"Earthquakes, huh?" Jerry asked.

"Yeah, what is this, the San Andreas fault or somethin'?" Nevada asked.

"I don't know, Grandpa, sounds like of far fetched," Jerry said. "I mean, this isn't really earthquake territory, you know what I mean?"

"I know that, but that doesn't mean it's impossible," Doc said. "After all, twelve thousand to fourteen thousand earthquakes occur every year. You just don't hear about them all because some aren't very strong. But we've gotten quite a few ones we've felt in the past couple of weeks."

"Hey, we've been feeling the Rock moving a lot, too," Wembley said.

"I think the Gorgs are causing it," Gobo said. "I wonder if the Silly Creatures can feel it, too?"

"I don't know," Wembley said. "Let's just get the postcard and go, Gobo, please?"

"Okay, Wembley," Gobo said.

Just as the orange Fraggle stepped into Outer Space, a low rumbling was heard, the windows began to rattle, and the floor began to move.

"Oh no, here comes another one!" Doc shouted. Sprocket began whimpering and he dove underneath Doc's table.

"Hit the deck!" Nevada shouted, as he, Jerry, and Doc went down as well.

"Gobo!" Wembley shouted. "Come back in here! Quick!"

Gobo raced back into the Fraggle hole, and grabbed onto one of the pipes. Wembley whimpered and did the same thing. Everything stopped shaking about thirty seconds later. Gobo looked around, and let go of the pipe.

"Come on, Wembley!" he shouted. "Let's get back to the Rock! We'll come and get Uncle Traveling Matt's postcard another time!"

"Right, Gobo!" Wembley shouted, as he and Gobo ran down the tunnel to return to Fraggle Rock (but not before Wembley wound up smacking his head into that one low hanging pipe that he always hit).

When Gobo and Wembley returned to Fraggle Rock, all of the Fraggles were talking at once, wondering what in the world was going on.

"Is everybody all right?" Gobo asked.

"Yes, but look what happened to my painting," Mokey said. Her picture had a huge, jagged red stripe down the center of it.

"It was another rock shake," Red said. "The Gorgs must be dancing or something."

"They felt it in Outer Space, too," Gobo said. "I wasn't able to get my Uncle Matt's postcard."

"Something has to be done about those Gorgs!" Boober shouted. The others noticed he was soaking wet, and covered with soap suds. "If they keep happening, I'll never get the laundry finished!"

"At least it wasn't a big one," Mokey said. "The only damage it did was knock over some Doozer buildings."

"Snack time!" Large Marvin, the fattest Fraggle in the Rock, shouted, and began slurping up the fallen Doozer sticks.

"Good thing we've got a reliable clean up crew," Red said. "At least it didn't cause the place to cave in on us!"

"Oooohhh, don't talk something like that, Red!" Boober shouted. "Don't even _think_ about it!"

"Calm down, Boober," Gobo said. "Everything's going to be all right now. The shaking's stopped, and nobody was hurt. It was just a small one, anyway."

"But all these small shakings could lead up to a big one!" Boober shouted. "And then we'll all be doomed! The roof will collapse, and we'll all be buried alive under falling rocks! They'll be no hope for us all!"

"Well, look on the bright side," Feenie, the dumbest Fraggle in the Rock, said. "If the roof collapses, we'll get plenty of sun light down here!"

Everyone groaned, and glared at Feenie. Feenie, however, just looked around, confused.

"Well, forget the earthquake," Gobo said. "Have I got something to tell you!"

"Yeah, Silly Creatures go exploring just like Gobo's uncle!" Wembley shouted. "And boy, were his stories scary!"

Red, Mokey, Feenie, Large Marvin, and several other Fraggles gathered around Gobo so they could hear about this Silly Creature's adventures, all talking at once.

"There was one story where the Silly Creature explorer was looking for something called the Eye of the Tiger," Gobo said. "It was this rock that fit into the eye of a statue! And then he went to a cave where sharp chunks of ice grew from the ceiling, and nearly fell on him when he was looking for a crystal called the Icicle of Doom! And then he went looking for the Bird of Paradise!"

"What's that?" Red asked.

"I don't know, but it sounded like a big tree creature," Gobo said.

"I don't think I want to hear any more of this," Boober said, as he went back to his hole to finish the laundry.


	2. Whole Lotta Shaking Going On

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: just a brief AN here to explain something to one of my reviewers of the first chapter (this is the only way I can say this, because it was a guest review). Nevada Nesmith is only an expy of Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, and isn't intended to be the Monkee himself._

* * *

Early the next morning, Doc, Sprocket, Jerry, Nevada, and several newspeople were gathered around a hole in the rocks that Jerry and Nevada were talking to Doc about. Nevada was looking around the hole, inspecting it a little.

"Okay, looks pretty clear," he said.

"You're not _really_ going to do this _now,_ are you?" Doc asked, for what seemed like the millionth time to Nevada.

"If I don't, someone else will," Nevada said, putting on his backpack.

"You sure?" Jerry asked. "After that small shaker we had yesterday, I'm not entirely too sure you oughta be doing this now, Nev."

"Jer, relax, would ya please?" Nevada asked. "You forget, I've done this before. It'll take more than a little earthquake to stop me from goin' where no treasure hunter has gone before!"

"How about a six point eight on the richter scale?" Jerry asked.

"That does it," Doc said, grabbing Nevada's arm, while Sprocket grabbed the cuff of his khaki's with his teeth. "I'm not going to allow you to go down into that cave, Nevada. Not with these earthquakes we've been having!"

"Oh, for Pete's sake," Nevada groaned. "I'll be _fine_! There was an earthquake when I was in Mexico lookin' for treasure, remember, Jerry? And I came out of that none worse for the wear."

"Except when you came out of the wreckage, you claimed you met a tribe of Mexican mice who stood on two legs and worshipped a golden statue of Mickey Mouse," Jerry said. "You're nuts if you think I'm gonna believe _that_ story, Nevada."

Nevada glared at his friend, and put on a pair of brown gloves. No matter what Jerry or Doc (or even Sprocket for that matter) said, he was going to go in this cave and explore, just to see what was in there. He walked up to the opening, turned toward his audience, gave them a salute, and then walked in.

"I hope he knows what he's doing in there," Doc said.

"He's gone spelunking before," Jerry said. "I'm not _that_ worried. I mean, a million things could happen in there. I'm just glad _he's_ the one who's the adventurer, not me!"

And with that, Doc, Sprocket, Jerry, and the newspeople left. The media (and Jerry for that matter) never hung around after Nevada started one of his expeditions.

Down in Fraggle Rock, the Fraggles were still asleep. Wembley was tossing and turning, moaning and groaning. All the noise he was making woke up Gobo.

"Hey, Wembley," he said. "Cut out the noise up there, eh? I'm trying to sleep!"

Wembley didn't acknowledge Gobo. He began moaning louder, and started thrashing about. Then he let out an extremely loud scream. Immediately, Gobo jumped out of bed, and climbed up the ladder to Wembley's, and grabbed the younger Fraggle's shoulder.

"Wembley, Wembley, wake up!" he shouted, gently shaking Wembley's shoulder. "Wake up, you're having a nightmare!"

Wembley suddenly jolted awake, sitting bolt upright in his bed, breathing heavily. He looked around a bit disoriented, and a little frightened.

"It's okay, buddy," Gobo said, patting his friend's shoulder, soothingly. "It was just a bad dream."

"Gobo, it was horrible!" Wembley shouted. "There were these huge, one-eyed rock monsters chasing me, and then these giant, sharp chunks of ice fell off the ceiling, and then I was chased by a huge tree creature trying to eat me, and then there was this giant earthquake . . . ."

"Oh boy," Gobo sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have gone on about those stories about that Silly Creature explorer right before bedtime last night. Combine that with Boober talking about giant earthquakes, no wonder you were having nightmares."

"Hey, fellas, is everything okay in here?" Mokey asked, as she walked into Gobo and Wembley's cave. "I thought I heard Wembley scream."

"Yeah, Mokey, everything's fine," Gobo said. "It was just a nightmare, that's all."

"I'm sorry I woke you up, Mokey," Wembley said.

"Oh, I was already up, anyway," Mokey said. "I have to go get a radish from the Gorgs' garden. I just stopped in to see if everything was all right."

"We might as well get up, too," Gobo said, stretching. "No point in going back to bed now, eh?"

Wembley nodded, and climbed down the ladder. By that time, most of the Fraggles were getting up, and going about their business. The explorer stories and Boober's paranoia about earthquakes seemed to have been forgotten.

"Hey, everyone, check out this dive!" Red shouted from a rock overlooking the pond. "A Triple Backwards Back Flip Tail Twirl!"

"This I gotta see!" Gobo shouted.

"Whoopeeee!" Red shouted, as she did three handsprings off the rock, and twirled her tail in a circle as she hit the water.

KERSPLASH!

"Ta daaaaahhhh!" Red sang as she emerged from the water.

"Thanks, Red, I _didn't_ need that," Boober said, sourly. He had been drenched by Red's landing.

"Sorry, Boober," Red said, shrugging. "But you know I need to practice for my next Splash-a-Thon."

"So do I!" Large Marvin shouted from the diving rock. "Look out belooooowwww!"

"Take cover!" Gobo shouted, and he and the other Fraggles ran as far away from the pond as they could, but it wouldn't have mattered.

Large Marvin jumped off the rock, trying to execute a swan dive, but it turned into a belly flop. When he hit the pond, all the water splashed out of it, and the ground started to shake a little.

"Yikes, it's another earthquake!" Wembley shouted, latching onto Gobo.

"No, no, relax, Wembley," Gobo said, unwinding his friend's fingers from his shirt. "It's not an earthquake. It's just vibrations from Large Marvin's landing. You know the ground always shakes a little when he makes a dive like that. It'll stop in a minute or so."

"Nice going, Large Marvin," Red said, sarcastically. "You've emptied the pond, just like the _last_ time you hit the pool doing a dive like that! Now we have to call the Pipebangers."

"Maybe we should wait until the shaking stops," Feenie said. "Gee, Large Marvin, you must have hit the pond harder than you thought! It usually stops shaking by now!"

"Uh oh . . . . ." Wembley said, nervously.

"Uh oh is right," Gobo said. "I think you were right the first time, Wembley. I think it's another earthquake!"

"And I don't think it's going to be one of those little ones we've been having, either!" Red shouted, and then she pointed to a nearby wall. "Look!"

The other Fraggles looked to where Red was pointing, and saw a crack in the wall, and the crack was starting to get bigger. Suddenly, a rock fell from above the Fraggles' heads, and the shaking grew bigger, following by more falling rocks. Some Fraggles were knocked off their feet.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Boober shouted. "This is the big one! We're all going to die! I know it!"

"Calm down, Boober!" Gobo shouted, taking control.

"What do we do, Gobo?!" Wembley shouted, once again, clinging to the orange Fraggle.

"Take cover, everybody!" Gobo shouted. "Get down on the ground and stay there! That's what I saw the Silly Creatures do yesterday! Hang on, and try not to panic!"

"Right, don't panic," Boober repeated. Just as he said that, another rock fell right next to him, missing him by an inch.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" the blue Fraggle screamed, and he ran for his cave. Most of the other Fraggles did the same thing. Others dove flat on the ground, and stayed there.

Red followed Gobo and Wembley to their cave. She didn't want to be alone, since Mokey was still out gathering radishes.

"I hope Mokey's okay," she said, nervously.

"I hope she is, too," Gobo said.

"I'm scared, Gobo!" Wembley shouted.

"Yeah, so am I," Gobo admitted, as he pulled both Wembley and Red close to him.

"Me too," Red said. "You think this will last long?"

"I don't know," Gobo said. "Let's just hope it doesn't."

The three Fraggles huddled closer together, bracing themselves against each other. It was all they could do. Even though they were scared to death, being together made them feel a little better.

The Fraggles weren't the only ones feeling the earth move. Nevada had been following a tunnel in the cave that lead downward when he felt the shaking.

"Whoa boy," he said, as he noticed a couple of rocks falling. "That definitely don't sound good . . . . ."

Nevada continued on, holding his arms out in order to balance himself. He was used to these situations happening. This was not the first time he had been in an earthquake while exploring. But it was the first time the ground gave way on him as he was exploring.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Nevada screamed as he plummeted downward, much like Alice falling into the rabbit hole.

Nevada landed with a thud, smacking the side of his head on the ground, knocking him unconscious. As if that weren't bad enough, the ceiling began caving in, and rocks fell, partially burying the young explorer beneath them. Even if he weren't out cold, there would be no way for him to get himself out of this one.


	3. The Rescue Team

The shaking finally stopped. Mokey had just picked a nice, big, juicy looking radish and was on her way back to the Rock when the earthquake started. She was in the tunnel at the time, and wound up losing her grip on it, and it rolled down the tunnel. She didn't go chasing after it, though, because that would have been stupid. She decided to go chasing after it once the shaking had stopped.

"Oh my!" she shouted, once it was all over. "Oh goodness, that was a _big_ one! I'd better find that radish and get back to Fraggle Rock with it. We may need it, just in case."

Thankfully, the tunnel between the Gorgs' garden and Fraggle Rock hadn't been blocked off, and thankfully, Mokey had seen the direction the radish had gone in when she dropped it. It rolled to the left, which was down a tunnel in the opposite direction of Fraggle Rock. She managed to find it laying against what looked like a patch of black moss.

"Here you are, you naughty little runaway radish!" she said, with a giggle. "Runaway radish, how cute! I should write a poem about that. Oh, what interesting cave moss! I've never seen moss that was black before! It's so soft, and smooth!"

As Mokey was stroking the black moss, it moved, and the mauve Fraggle heard a groan. Mokey gasped, picked up the radish, and backed up for a moment. Then she noticed that the black moss was not moss at all. It was hair, and it belonged to a Silly Creature. She, Red, Wembley, and Boober had gone with Gobo enough times to the hole to Outer Space to know what a Silly Creature was. She had discovered the half-buried form of Nevada Nesmith.

"Oh my goodness!" she gasped. "Now how did a Silly Creature get all the way down here?"

Nevada groaned. Mokey realized he was stuck, unconscious, and had a gash in his forehead that needed tending to. There was no possible way she could dig him out by herself. She needed the other Fraggles. So she picked up the radish, and ran back to the Rock as fast as she could.

Thankfully, none of the other Fraggles had been hurt in the earthquake, and most of them were clearing out the rocks that had fallen. Others were busy comforting the younger Fraggles, especially the Fraggle children, some of whom were crying hysterically. Gobo was trying to move some of the rocks, but it wasn't easy with Wembley clinging to him.

"Come on, Wembley, let go of me," Gobo said. "It's all over, and everything's okay now."

"What if another big one comes?" Wembley asked. "And . . . . and what about Mokey? What if she's . . . ."

"Don't even think about it!" Red shouted, a little more harshly than she meant it. "Mokey is going to be fine! I know it!"

"Don't bring up Mokey right now, Wembley," Gobo said. "You know she's Red's best friend. Now would you please let go of me? I have to help clear out these fallen rocks!"

"Gobo!" a voice called. "Red! Boober! Wembley! Everybody! I need help!"

Every Fraggle turned toward where the voice was coming from, and saw Mokey run into the Great Hall. Red dropped let go of rock she was trying to push (and it wound up landing on Feenie's foot), and ran to her best friend, enveloping her in the biggest hug she could muster, causing Mokey to drop the radish.

"Mokey! You're alive!" the pigtailed Fraggle cried, as tears of joy began forming in her eyes. "I'm so happy you're okay! I was so scared you weren't going to come back!"

"Oh, Red!" Mokey shouted, giving her best friend a giant hug.

"We were all worried about you, Mokey," Gobo said. "What happened? Where were you?"

"I was just coming back from the Gorgs' garden when the shaking started," Mokey said. "I dropped the radish I was carrying."

"You're not hurt, are you?" Boober asked, as he pried Red away and began looking Mokey over for injuries. "You know, cuts, scrapes, dizziness, nausea, delirium, anything like that?"

"Oh, no, Boober, I'm fine," Mokey said, patting Boober on the shoulder.

"Boy, are we glad to see you!" Wembley shouted, giving Mokey a hug himself.

"Yeah," Gobo said. "Now Wembley can cling to you for awhile, while I help move some of these fallen rocks!"

"Oh, there's no time for that!" Mokey shouted. "We have to get down to the south side tunnel right away!"

"How come?" Red asked. "Is it blocked?"

"Yes," Mokey said. "By a Silly Creature!"

"A silly creature?!" Boober shouted, suddenly growing pale.

"Yes, and he's been buried under a rock slide!" Mokey shouted.

"Rock . . . . slide?" Boober asked, nervously, and then he keeled over in a dead faint.

"He's unconscious, and he can't get out himself," Mokey explained. "He also has a cut on his forehead that's bleeding. We _have_ to help him!"

"Right," Gobo said, as he helped Boober to his feet. "Come on, Boober, you're the expert on injuries, we're going to need your help!"

"Okay, okay," Boober sighed. "Just let me get my Fraggle First Aid Kit."

"Come on, everybody!" Red shouted. "We're going to need as many Fraggles as possible for this one!"

Several of the Fraggles cheered, as they followed Gobo and Mokey down the cave. Red was about to go with them, when she heard a small voice close by.

"Hey Red!" it shouted. "Where's everybody going?"

Red looked to where the voice was coming from, and saw her friend, Cotterpin Doozer, sitting on her little motorbike, on what was left of a Doozer bridge that had collapsed during the earthquake.

"Oh, hi, Cotterpin," Red said. "We've got a Silly Creature trapped under a rock slide in one of the tunnels. We're all going to help dig him out."

"A Silly Creature?" Cotterpin repeated. "Wow! I've never seen one of those before! Can I come with you?"

"Well . . ." Red said, hesitantly. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea for a little Doozer to come along. After all, the Fraggles would be pushing huge, heavy rocks, and Red didn't want her friend to get squashed.

"Oh, please, Red?" Cotterpin asked again. "You might need help pushing those rocks! I can get some of the other Doozers to come with some of our building equipment! The Bulldoozers are really great at moving heavy stuff!"

"Okay, then," Red said. "Gather up the Bulldoozers, and then follow me!"

"Okay!" Cotterpin shouted, and she drove her little bike down the bridge to get the Bulldoozers.

When Red, Cotterpin, and the Bulldoozers arrived at the site of the cave-in, the other Fraggles were busy trying to clear the rocks off the unconscious Silly Creature. Immediately, the Bulldoozers got to work helping.

"Hey, Red, what are the Doozers doing here?" Gobo asked.

"Helping, what's it look like?" Red asked. "Cotterpin thought it would be a good idea."

"Good idea?" Mokey asked. "It's a _great_ idea! We need all the help we can get!"

"I'll say we do," Boober said. He was wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves, as he was cleaning the gash in Nevada's forehead with an herbal mixture that he had in his Fraggle First Aid Kit for just this sort of emergency.

"What is that stuff, Boober?" Wembley asked, holding his nose. "It smells awful!"

"It's a paste made of hanging wineberry, aisnip leaves, and therwonroot," Boober said. "It's a good antiseptic. We wouldn't want the Silly Creature to become infected now, would we? After all, infection does _horrible_ things. It gets all red, and it swells up, and red streaks extend from the wound, and pus drains out of it, and you get a fever, and then . . . . ooohhh, it's just too scary to think about!"

"Cut that out, Boober!" Gobo shouted, as he pushed a rock off the pile. "You're only going to scare Wembley half to death! Remember when he had the pebble pox, and you convinced him that contagion was the 'greatest evil the world has ever known,' and that convinced him he was going to die?"

"Oh yeah," Boober said, sheepishly. "Errrr, anyway, Wembley, if you put a good antiseptic on a cut, it won't become infected, and nasty things won't happen. I hope."

"Oh," Wembley said, though he felt a little confused.

While the other Fraggles and the Doozers continued to move the rocks, Wembley walked over to Nevada, and stared at him. He'd never seen a Silly Creature up close before. Nevada's eyelids began twitching, and they slowly opened. His vision was a bit blurry, and he could just barely make out a small, green creature staring him in the face. Wembley gulped, afraid that the Silly Creature was going to panic.

"Oh no!" Boober shouted. "He's moving!"

"Uhhh, h-hello, M-mister Silly Creature, sir," Wembley said. "D-don't be afraid. We're nice, believe me. We're not here to hurt you or anything."

"Huh?" Nevada asked. He was so disoriented, he couldn't even think straight. "What's goin' on?"

"It's okay, Mr. Silly Creature," Wembley said. "We're gonna get you out of here, okay?"

"Yeah . . . . okay," Nevada said. "But what are you?"

"We're Fraggles," Wembley said.

"Fraggles," Nevada repeated, nodding. "Okay, fine."

"What's your name, Mr. Silly Creature?" Wembley asked.

"Nevada," Nevada said. He looked like he was going to pass out again. "Who're you?"

"My name's Wembley, Mr. Nevada," Wembley said.

Nevada nodded, closed his eyes, and was out again. Wembley looked over at Boober nervously.

"Is that good or bad?" he asked.

"I don't know," Boober said.

"Don't worry about it now, Wembley," Mokey said. "We've still got a lot of moving to do."

Wembley nodded, but he couldn't help worrying about Nevada. He began to help move the rocks and hope for the best.

It took a couple of hours, but the Fraggles and the Doozers finally managed to move enough rocks to pull Nevada out of the cave-in.

"Well, what do we do with him now?" Red asked.

"We can't leave him here while he's out cold!" Wembley shouted. "Maybe we should take him home."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Boober shouted. "Who knows what kind of germs he could be carrying!"

"I think Wembley's right," Mokey said. "We can't just leave him out here by himself."

"Okay, but how do we get him home?" Red asked. "There's no way we can carry him! He's too big!"

As the Fraggles were trying to figure out how to get Nevada back to the Rock, the Doozers were busy taking measurements.

"Hey, I know what might work!" Cotterpin shouted. Then she turned to the other Doozers. "Come on, guys! Let's go get the flatcar!"

Cotterpin and the Bulldoozers left, leaving the Fraggles wondering what in the world they were up to. They returned about a half hour later, driving a very long flatcar.

"We had to make it longer," Cotterpin said. "That's why we took so long."

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Gobo asked.

"Roll him onto the flatcar," Cotterpin said.

Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober, and Red stood next to Nevada, and pushed.

"He may be skinny, but he sure isn't light!" Red shouted, grunting.

It took a bit of effort, but the Fraggle Five finally managed to roll Nevada onto the flatcar. Then the Doozers started up the vehicle it was attached to, and began rolling back to Fraggle Rock. The Fraggles all followed.

"I'm glad that's over," Gobo said, heaving a sigh of relief.

"So am I," Large Marvin said. "I was getting hungry! What's for lunch, Boober?"

"How can you think of eating at a time like this?!" Boober shouted. "Our space is being invaded by a Silly Creature! We don't even know where it's been! He could be dangerous!"

"Easy," Large Marvin replied. "I'm hungry!"

"You're _always_ hungry, Large Marvin!" Red shouted.

"He didn't seem dangerous to me," Wembley said.

" _Every_ thing's dangerous to you, Boober," Red sighed.

"Come on, everybody, knock it off, eh?" Gobo said. "Let's just take the Silly Creature back to Fraggle Rock, and we'll figure out what to do with him when he wakes up."

"If he doesn't kill us first," Boober said. The others ignored him.


	4. The Fraggles Meet the Silly Creature

Nevada sat up, groaned, and held his hand to his head. He had a splitting headache. Not only that, but he felt every single muscle in his body ache.

"Ooohh boy," he muttered. "What hit me?"

"About two tons of rock, I'd say," a voice said.

"Huh?" Nevada asked, looking around. "Who said that?"

"Over here!" the voice called.

Nevada looked around, and found where the voice was coming from. There, he saw an orange furry creature, with purple hair, wearing a yellow and purple striped shirt underneath a brown vest.

"Hi, there," he said.

"Ack!" Nevada shouted. He tried to jump to his feet, but only wound up banging his head against a rock.

"Ow!" he shouted.

"Oooh, are you okay?" a mauve-colored creature with light blue hair wearing a long greenish-gray sweater asked. "You shouldn't be jumping around like that! You just had a nasty accident!"

"Uhh . . . I, uhhh . . . ." Nevada stammered, and once again, he tried to stand up, but felt a throbbing pain in his ankle as he did.

"Aaaahhh!" he screamed. "Oooh, my ankle!"

"We know someone who can take a look at it," a yellow and orange creature with two bushy red pigtails wearing a red turtleneck sweater said. "Hey Boober! Come here!"

"No way!" a blue creature with red hair covering his eyes wearing a brown cap and scarf said. "What if he's dangerous? What if he's covered in germs? What if he spreads pestilence?"

"What if he's nice?" a green creature with yellow hair wearing a palm-tree print shirt asked. This creature looked a bit familiar to Nevada.

"What if he's goin' crazy?" Nevada asked. "What if he's just hallucinatin'?"

"Oh, you're not hallucinating," the green creature said. "And you're not going crazy, either. At least I don't think. We're just here to help you, Mr. Nevada."

"Hold the phone, there, how do you know my name?" Nevada asked.

"What's a phone?" the yellow one asked.

"Beats me," the orange one said, shrugging.

"You told me," the green creature said.

"I told you?" Nevada asked.

"Yeah, when we were digging you out of the rocks," the green creature went on. "You woke up for a little bit, and I told you that we were Fraggles, and I asked you your name, and you said it was Nevada, and you asked me who I was, and I told you my name was Wembley, remember?"

Nevada just nodded, absently, still a little confused.

"Anyway," the orange one said, coming forward, "my name is Gobo, and these are Mokey, Red, Boober, and apparently, you've already met Wembley. Welcome to Fraggle Rock, Mr. Nevada."

"Fraggle Rock," Nevada repeated. "Boy, I must've hit my head harder than I thought!"

Nevada tried to get up again, but winced as his ankle throbbed.

"Are you okay, Mr. Nevada?" Mokey asked.

"Yeah, I think my ankle's just sprained, that's all," Nevada said, grimacing. "Ooooh, does it hurt!"

"Come on, Boober, why don't you take a look at it?" Red asked. "You're the one who knows about these sort of things!"

"But what about pestilence?" Boober asked, nervously. "He could be carrying all kinds of germs!"

"What's up with him?" Nevada asked. "He some kinda hypochondriac or somethin'?"

"What does that mean?" Wembley asked.

"It means he's afraid of gettin' sick," Nevada said. "Then when he _does_ get sick, he thinks it's a bigger deal than it really is."

"Oh, well, if that's the case, then . . . ." Gobo said.

"Yes!" he, Red, Mokey, and Wembley shouted at the same time.

"Come on, Boober, he's hurt," Red said. "And you know more about injuries and illness than any other Fraggle on the Rock!"

"Oh, all right, I'll look at it," Boober said, resignedly. "But I don't have to like it!"

Boober then put on his surgical mask and rubber gloves as he walked over to Nevada to look at his ankle.

"Don't tell me he's the resident doctor around here," Nevada said.

"No, he's just the resident worrywart," Red explained. "His life is devoted to three things. Laundry, cooking, and ridding the Rock of disease and pestilence, one germ at a time."

"I'll ignore that remark," Boober said. "The least you guys could do is give me a hand!"

The other four Fraggles walked over to Boober, and helped him take off Nevada's boot, just to see how bad the injury was. Nevada's ankle was swollen, and practically black and blue.

"Yuck!" Boober grimaced. "That's the most disgusting looking bruise I've ever seen!"

"Oh, it's not too bad," Nevada said, looking at his ankle. "I've done a lot worse to my ankles than this. It just hurts like crazy. Where's my backpack?"

"Over there," Gobo said, pointing to where the Fraggles had left Nevada's backpack.

"I've got a first aid kid in there for just such emergencies," Nevada said.

"You carry a first aid kit when you go exploring?" Boober asked.

"Sure, you never know what's gonna happen out there!" Nevada said. "You've gotta be prepared for anythin'!"

Gobo took Nevada's backpack, and brought it over. Nevada dug around in it, pulled out his first aid kit, and opened it. The Fraggle Five looked to see what was inside of it. There were several different types of adhesive bandages, a couple of rolls of Ace bandages, gauze, tissues, cotton balls, cotton swabs, a pair of scissors, a pair of rubber gloves, a pair of tweezers, a thermometer, a tube of antibiotic ointment, a small bottle of hand soap, a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a bottle of calamine lotion, a bottle of Aspirin, and what looked like a plastic mask. Boober was impressed.

"I've never seen so many bandages and medical things in my life!" he shouted. "Look at all this great stuff!"

"What's this thing?" Gobo asked, taking the plastic mask out of the kit.

"Does it protect you against germs?" Boober asked.

"Well, sort of," Nevada said, as he wrapped his ankle with one of the Ace bandages. "That's a breathin' barrier. It's for givin' CPR."

"What's CPR?" Red asked.

"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation," Nevada said. "It's what you do when somebody's stopped breathin', or their heart's stopped beatin'. But you shouldn't go tryin' it if you don't know how to do it. You can do more harm than good that way."

"Wow, looks like you're prepared for any kind of medical emergency," Boober said.

"You gotta be in my line of work," Nevada said, shrugging.

"Gee, Gobo, when you go exploring, you don't take stuff like this with you," Wembley pointed out.

"That's because I'm too careful!" Gobo shouted.

"Well, you can never be too careful," Boober said.

"You said it, fella," Nevada said. He took the Aspirin out of his first aid kit, and downed two of them with a bottle of water from his backpack.

"What were those?" Wembley asked.

"Aspirin," Nevada said. "They're painkillers. But I wouldn't go takin' them if I were you, little guy. I don't know what they'd do to you."

"Yeah, Wembley, you shouldn't take medicine if you don't know what it is," Boober said.

"Wow, look at the size of this pickaxe!" Gobo shouted, digging through Nevada's backpack.

"Yeah, normally, I would've used that to get myself out of those rocks," Nevada explained. "But that's hard to do when you've been knocked out cold."

"What are these?" Red asked, pulling out a long metal tube, and some cylindrical objects.

"Those are my flashlight and my batteries," Nevada said. "The flashlight gives me light, and the batteries are what powers it."

The Fraggles continued to dig through Nevada's backpack to see what he had in there, and Nevada explained to them what it was if the Fraggles didn't know. Boober became interested when the other Fraggles began pulling out food.

"What's this, Mr. Nevada?" Wembley asked, pulling out a rectangular item wrapped in shiny paper.

"Energy bar," Nevada said. "I pack a lot of those when I'm explorin' some places."

"Oooh, look, an apple!" Mokey shouted. "And some other fruit, too."

"Yeah, I pack a lot of healthy food when I go spelunkin'," Nevada said. "You need a lot of energy."

"Hey, this stuff's pretty good," Red said, taking a handful of food from a plastic container.

"Oh, that's my trail mix," Nevada said.

"Trail mix, huh?" Red said, with her mouth full. "What's in it?"

"Peanuts, chocolate chips, mini pretzels, granola, and banana chips," Nevada said.

"Mmm, not bad," Red said. "I think I like the chocolate chips the best!"

"What's in here?" Gobo asked, pulling out a thermos.

"Coffee," Nevada said. "I never go anywhere without a thermos full of coffee."

"How come?" Red asked.

"Because I am a complete monster in the mornin' until I have a cup," Nevada said.

Red wasn't sure she understood that. She just nodded, and continued digging through Nevada's backpack.

"What's this?" Gobo asked, rolling something soft over.

"My sleepin' bag," Nevada said. "I never leave anywhere without it."

Gobo began unrolling the sleeping bag, and found a bag full of puffy, white things in it.

"What are these?" he asked.

"Marshmallows," Nevada said. "You roast 'em over a campfire. Or you can eat them plain, but I prefer mine toasted."

"Interesting," Gobo said. He opened the bag, took a marshmallow out, and ate one.

"Hey, these are great!" he shouted, and he began to shovel some more in his mouth.

"Whoa, hold it there, ol' buddy," Nevada said, taking the bag away from the orange Fraggle. "Don't eat the whole bag! These things are loaded with sugar. If you eat the whole bag, you'll be bouncin' off the walls!"

"Sounds painful," Boober said.

"What's in here?" Mokey asked, opening a small bag she found in the backpack. Inside, she found a can, some kind of stick, and a bag of silver rectangles.

"Oh, that's my shavin' kit," Nevada said.

"What's in here?" Red asked, taking the cap off the can.

"Shavin' cream," Nevada said.

"Shaving cream, huh?" Red asked. She pushed the button on top of the can, and a bit of shaving cream squirted out. She picked up a glob of it, and sniffed it.

"Hmmm," she said. "Maybe it tastes better than it smells."

Red put the blob of shaving cream in her mouth, made a face, and then started spitting it out immediately.

"Oooh! Yuck! Ick! Blecch! _Ptooey_!" she shouted. "Ooooh, yuck, that tastes like soap!"

"That's because it _is_ soap," Nevada said. "What'd you expect?"

"I expected it to be something like radish cream," Red said. She grabbed Nevada's bottle of water and began rinsing her mouth out.

"Radish cream?" Nevada repeated. Then he grimaced. " _Yeeeccchhh!_ "

"Oh, you don't like radishes?" Mokey asked.

"Well, I can take them or leave them," Nevada said, shrugging. "I'd rather leave them."

"Radishes are our favorite food," Gobo said.

"Yeah, I've got tons of recipes that use it!" Boober shouted. "Radish dip, radish en croute, radish gumbo, radish meringue cake, radish ratatouille, radish pate, radish roast, frozen radish bisque . . . . ."

" _Ugh_!" Nevada groaned, turning up his nose.

"Oh, I have other recipes, too," Boober continued. "Like artichoke souffle, cabbage cake, cauliflower pie, garlic soup, lima bean soup, okra soup, parsnip stew, rutabaga soup, peach and pepper pottage, Doozer dust pie . . . . ."

" _Yeeecchhhh_!" Wembley shouted. He absolutely _hated_ Doozer dust pie.

"Doesn't sound very appetizin' to me," Nevada said. "And what's Doozer dust?"

"It's made from ground up Doozer sticks," Mokey said. "They're _very_ delicious!"

"Well, what are Doozer sticks?" Nevada asked.

"They're what the Doozers use to build with," Gobo said.

"What are Doozers?" Nevada asked.

"I'm a Doozer!" a voice called over from the other side of the room. Everyone turned to look, and saw Cotterpin on her little bike, rolling down the bridge.

"Hi, Cotterpin!" Red called, waving. She ran over to the bridge, picked up Cotterpin, and carried her over to Nevada.

"Meet Mr. Nevada!" she shouted. "Mr. Nevada, meet Cotterpin Doozer!"

"Hiya, kid," Nevada said, with a wave.

"Wow!" Cotterpin shouted, looking at Nevada. "He's a _giant_!"

"Hey, you think I'm a giant now," Nevada said, "you oughta see me standin' up!"

"How tall are you?" Cotterpin asked.

"Six feet, one inch," Nevada said.

"Oh boy, he _is_ a giant!" Cotterpin shouted.

"But he's not as big as a Gorg," Gobo said. "Gorgs are _huge!_ "

"Yeah, a Gorg wouldn't be able to fit down here," Mokey said.

"Well, I've gotta get back to work," Cotterpin said. "See you later, Fraggles! Bye, Mr. Nevada!"

"Bye, kid," Nevada said, as Red took Cotterpin back to the bridge so she could get back to work.

Wembley then noticed the bag that held the silver rectangles was open, and he took one out.

"Hey, Mr. Nevada," he said, "what are these?"

"Oh, those are my razor blades," Nevada said. "But I wouldn't play around with those, kid, because they're . . . . ."

"YEEEEOOOOW!" Wembley suddenly screamed. He had been running his finger along the edge of the blade, and wound up cutting it. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, _owwwwwww_!"

"Sharp," Nevada sighed, rolling his eyes.

The other Fraggles began talking at once. Wembley's finger was bleeding. Boober actually fainted, since he couldn't stand the sight of blood. Nevada stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly.

"COOL IT!" he shouted at the top of his voice. the Fraggle Five (except Boober) stopped talking, and stared at him. Nevada motioned Wembley to come closer to him. Once Wembley was close enough, Nevada took the green Fraggle's hand, and inspected it.

"Okay, it's not very deep," he said, reaching over to his first aid kit. He tore a small piece of tissue out of it, and pressed it against Wembley's finger.

"Hold that on there," he said. Wembley nodded.

Nevada turned back to his first aid kit, and pulled out the rest of the tissue, and the bottle of hand soap. He took his water bottle, wet the tissue, squeezed some soap into it, and rubbed it on Wembley's finger to clean it. Then he took his tube of antibiotic ointment, squeezed a tiny bit of it on Wembley's cut, and then put a small adhesive bandage over it.

"There ya go, kid," he said. "That oughta clear up in a day or so."

"Gee, thanks, Mr. Nevada," Wembley said.

"How'd you know how to do that?" Gobo asked.

"Basic first aid," Nevada said, shrugging. "That, and I did the exact same thing when I was four years old. See, this is exactly why mothers tell ya never to play with sharp objects."

"Boy, I'll say!" Wembley shouted. "That really hurt!"

Nevada nodded, and then stifled a yawn. These little furry guys were starting to wear him out.

"Well, I think we've had enough excitement for one day," Mokey said. "Come on, everybody, we have to let Mr. Nevada get some rest."

"Bye, Mr. Nevada!" Wembley shouted, as he started heading back to his and Gobo's cave.

"Need any help?" Gobo asked, as Nevada began taking off his jacket.

"Nah, I'm good," Nevada said. Then he began shifting his position in order to get into his sleeping bag.

"Okay," Gobo said. "Just yell if you need anything."

"Yeah, thanks," Nevada said.

"Sweet dreams, Mr. Nevada," Mokey said, and she and Red went to their cave.

"'Night," Nevada said, though he was already half asleep. "Boy, Jerry's _never_ gonna believe this one!"


	5. Nightmares and Lullabies

" _AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH_!"

Gobo was jolted out of bed that night by an extremely loud scream. He was so startled, he nearly hit the ceiling. Once he composed himself, he crawled out of his bed, and climbed up the ladder to Wembley's. Wembley was wide awake himself, shaking nervously, looking around, and whimpering. Immediately, Gobo knew what was going on, and groaned.

"Have another nightmare, Wembley?" he asked.

"Huh?!" Wembley shouted, a bit startled. "Oh. Yeah, I think so."

"That's what I figured," Gobo said, with a sigh. "What happened in this one?"

"There was another earthquake," Wembley explained. "And rocks were falling everywhere, and the rocks had these really sharp edges on them!"

Gobo nodded. He was about to say something, when a low rumbling was heard, and the room began to shake.

"Oh no, not another one!" he groaned, as he got off the ladder.

"Aaaaahhh!" Wembley yelled, racing down the ladder himself. He and Gobo huddled together on the floor, as they heard the sound of falling rocks, a splash, and a scream from the Great Hall.

"What was that?" Wembley asked.

"We'll check it out when the earthquake's over," Gobo said.

This earthquake didn't last long, thank goodness, but the entire Rock was awakened by it, and everyone went out to the Great Hall to see about the damage. There were a few cracks in the walls, and a huge rock in the pond, but other than that, everything was intact.

"Mr. Nevada!" Gobo shouted, running toward the young explorer, who was both wide awake, and soaked. "You okay?"

"Oh sure," Nevada said, sarcastically, as he ran his hand through his hair. "I'm fine. I _love_ wakin' up in the middle of the night bein' doused with cold water in the middle of an earthquake!"

"Oh, sorry about that," Gobo said. "I forgot you were sleeping close to the pond."

"I'm starting to get fed up with these earthquakes," Boober said.

"What's _causing_ them, anyway?" Red asked.

"Tectonic plates in between an encroaching crustal mantle," Nevada said, stifling a yawn. "What generally happens is underground rock breaks along a fault, and the sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake."

"Huh?" Red asked.

"What did he say?" Boober asked.

Every single Fraggle looked at Nevada as if he were sprouting vines out of his ears. Nevada sighed, and decided to rethink his explanation.

"Anybody got a pencil and paper?" he asked.

"Oh, I do!" Mokey shouted. "I'll be right back!"

Mokey ran to her cave, and then returned with the requested items. Nevada took the pencil and paper, and began to draw something. It was a big circle with several smaller circles inside of it.

"This is what the Earth would look like if you split it down the middle and opened it," he explained, using the pencil as a pointer. "It's made up of different layers, see? The top layer is called the crust, and the bottom layer is the core. Pressure builds up in the core, and it has to be released."

"Wow," Gobo said. "How do you know all that, Mr. Nevada?"

"Well, I read a lot," Nevada said. "It helps you prepare for natural disasters."

"What's a natural disaster?" Wembley asked.

"Wemb _ley_!" Boober shouted. " _Every_ one knows what a natural disaster is! It means that naturally disasters are going to happen to matter what happens!"

"That's not exactly how it works, ol' buddy," Nevada said. "A natural disaster is an event that happens in nature, like a flood, a tornado, lightnin', or an earthquake."

"How do you get earthquakes to stop?" Wembley asked again.

"Unfortunately, you can't," Nevada said. "And there's nothin' that can be done to prevent them, either. Nobody can predict an earthquake."

"Come on, everybody," Red said, stifling a yawn. "Let's get back to bed."

"Good idea," Gobo said. "Come on, Wembley."

"You go ahead, Gobo," Wembley said. "I think I'm gonna stay here for awhile."

"Suit yourself. Just try to be quiet when you come back to the cave, eh?"

"Okay."

As the other Fraggles went back to their caves to get some sleep, Wembley walked over to Nevada.

"Mr. Nevada?" he asked.

"What's up, kid?" Nevada asked, as he slid into his sleeping bag.

"Do you know anything about nightmares?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, ever since the first earthquake, I've been having bad nightmares. I think Gobo's starting to get annoyed with me, because I keep waking up screaming. And I can't stop thinking about these earthquakes. Every time there's even a little vibration, I get scared!"

Wembley then went into detail about his nightmares. Nevada just nodded.

"Well, I'm not an expert on the subject," he said, "but I know I used to have nightmares when I was a kid."

"You did?" Wembley asked.

"Yeah, everybody has them. I still have them every now and again. You just have to remember that they're not real."

"Yeah . . . . but I'm still too scared to go to sleep."

"You know what used to help me get back to sleep after a nightmare?"

"What?"

"Singin'. My grandfather used to sing this to me all the time when I was a kid."

Wembley nodded, and sat down, cross-legged, and paid close attention to Nevada's song.

 _Feel the water flowing_

 _Feel it coming, hear it going_

 _In the river, in the rain, or in the sky_

 _One day it's an ocean_

 _One day ice in motion_

 _One day it's a teardrop in your eye_

 _Once I wasn't here_

 _And then I suddenly appeared_

 _And now I seem to be at home in earth and air_

 _Just like water flowing_

 _I know where I'm going_

 _Look beneath your boots and I'll be there_

 _It's just a dream away_

 _You've got to leave to stay_

 _We'll meet again someday_

 _Just a dream away_

"Wait a minute!" Wembley shouted. "I know that song! My friend, Mudwell the Mudbunny taught it to me. But . . . . he's gone now."

Wembley looked down. Even though Mudwell the Mudbunny had died awhile ago, it still made Wembley sad to think about it.

"My grandfather's gone, too," Nevada said, sympathetically. "He died when I was fifteen."

"I'm sorry," Wembley said. "Were you close?"

"Very," Nevada said, nodding. "He was an explorer, too, but he gave up explorin' when my father was a kid. He taught me a lot of songs. He said he picked them up in his travels, but he never told me who taught them to him."

"You think maybe your grandfather met a Mudbunny?"

"I don't know. He might have. Anyway, I've gotta get some sleep, so you'd better get back to your cave."

Wembley nodded, and was about to go back to the cave he shared with Gobo, but instead he turned back, and tapped Nevada's shoulder.

"You think maybe you could sing just one more song?" he asked. "Please?"

"Okay," Nevada said, as he leaned up. "But only one, got it?"

Wembley smiled, nodded, and sat down. Nevada sat up, and thought about some of the songs his grandfather had taught him, and then came up with a good one.

 _Cold moon,_

 _Lonely as can be_

 _Sailing where the starlight fades to blue_

 _Don't you_

 _Sometimes feel like me_

 _Wish the friends you dream about were true_

 _And they would sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Some day_

 _You may tumble down_

 _Sad because your light is nearly through_

 _Moon stay,_

 _I will search around_

 _Climb until your light is bright as new_

 _And then I'll sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

 _Sail away with you_

Once Nevada was finished singing, he was about to tell Wembley to go back to his cave, when he noticed the little green Fraggle had fallen asleep. Nevada didn't have the heart to wake him up, either. Instead, he made room in his sleeping bag, and tucked Wembley into it beside him.

"Pleasant dreams, little guy," he said, and then went to sleep himself.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: just letting everyone know that the two songs used in this chapter are from the "Fraggle Rock" episodes "Gone But Not Forgotten" and "Capture the Moon," in case anyone was curious._


	6. Meeting the Trash Heap

Hours later, Gobo woke up again, ready to begin the day. The first thing he did was climb up the ladder to Wembley's bunk.

"Hey, Wembley," he said. "I want to apologize for last night. I wasn't very sympathetic about your nightmares. I know they can be scary, and . . . ."

Gobo stopped talking when he realized Wembley wasn't in his bed. The orange Fraggle started to get a little concerned. Wembley was never up before he was.

"Maybe he had another nightmare and didn't want to wake me up with it," Gobo said, as he got dressed. "Maybe he's with Mokey and Red, or Boober."

"Morning, Gobo!" Red shouted from the outside window. Mokey and Boober were right behind her. "Ready to get that boulder out the pond? I've got a swimming class to teach!"

"Is Wembley with you?" Gobo asked.

"No, why?" Mokey asked.

"Because he sure isn't here!" Gobo shouted. "You know he's never up and about before I am!"

"I haven't seen him since last night," Boober said.

"Come on, let's go look for him," Red said.

The four Fraggles left Gobo's cave, and began their search, calling Wembley's name as loud as they could. This woke up Nevada. The explorer sat up, groaned, and glared at the four Fraggles.

"Hey, you guys, keep it down!" he hissed. "You'll wake up the little guy!"

Gobo, Red, Boober, and Mokey stopped in their tracks, and found Wembley curled up in Nevada's sleeping bag, sleeping peacefully. It was probably the first good sleep he'd had in two days.

"What's he doing out here?" Boober asked.

"He was too scared to go back to his room," Nevada explained.

"Poor fella," Gobo said, stroking Wembley's hair. "He hasn't gotten a full night's sleep since the earthquakes have started."

Wembley then stirred, and began sitting up. He yawned, and stretched.

"Boy, that was a good sleep," he said. "Oh, hi guys."

"Morning, Wembley," Gobo said. "Mr. Nevada told us you slept out here all night."

"I wanted to know if Mr. Nevada knew anything about nightmares," Wembley said.

"And then I did what my grandfather used to do with me whenever I had nightmares," Nevada said. "I sang to him, he fell asleep, and I didn't want to wake him up."

"What did you sing?" Red asked. "Fraggles love music!"

"Oh, just a couple of tunes my grandfather taught me," Nevada said, shrugging.

"Yeah, he knows the song Mudwell taught me," Wembley said. "And he also knows the Moon Lullaby!"

"The Moon Lullaby?!" Mokey repeated. "The _Moon_ Lullaby?! Really? He _knows_ the Moon Lullaby?!"

"You know it, huh?" Nevada asked.

"Yeah, we know it," Gobo said. "That song _always_ puts us to sleep! But how do _you_ know it?"

"My grandfather taught it to me," Nevada said. "He picked up a lot of songs durin' his travels, except he never really told me who taught them to him."

The Fraggle Five looked at each other, wondering how in the world a Silly Creature would know their songs. There was only one person to go to for the answers, and that was the Trash Heap.

"Come with us, Mr. Nevada," Gobo said. "There's someone we want you to meet!"

"Sure, I guess," Nevada said, standing up. Then he winced. "Oooh! It's gonna be a bit slow goin', guys."

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Gobo said, a bit sheepishly. "I forgot about your ankle."

"Don't worry about it, Gobo," Nevada said. "I'll manage. Like I said before, I've done worse things to it. Once, I sprained them both at the same time."

"How'd you manage to do that?" Red asked.

"Don't ask," Nevada said, and left it at that.

The Fraggle Five then led Nevada to the tunnel that led to the Gorg's garden, though Nevada had to steady himself against the cave walls.

"Where are we goin' anyway?" Nevada asked.

"To visit the Trash Heap," Gobo said.

"The _what_?!" Nevada shouted, giving Gobo a weird look.

"The Trash Heap," Gobo repeated.

"We always go to her when we need advice," Mokey said.

"Her?" Nevada asked. "This trash heap's a female?"

"Of course," Mokey said.

"But we have to be really careful," Boober said. "Because in order to get to the Trash Heap, we have to go into the Gorgs' garden!"

Before Nevada could ask about the Gorgs, the group reached the entrance to the garden. Once Nevada saw the opening, however, he was ready to turn back.

"Oh no, no way, now how," he said. "There is absolutely _no way_ I'm goin' through that hole. I am _not_ squeezin' through that thing!"

"We might have to come up with an alternative," Gobo said.

"How?" Boober asked. "There's no other way to the Gorg's garden."

"Wait a minute, I think there _is_ another way," Wembley said. "The pond!"

"What about the pond?" Red asked.

"You know there's a hole in the roof of the Great Hall that's directly over the pond, and it leads to the Gorg's garden, too! All Mr. Nevada has to do is climb up the wall, and . . . ."

"No dice, kiddo," Nevada interrupted. "I can't go climbin' the walls with a bum ankle. And do me a favor, all of you. Drop the 'mister.' It makes me feel old."

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Nev . . . . I mean, Nevada," Wembley said.

"It's an interestin' idea, though," Nevada said, as the group headed back to the Great Hall. "You say the hole in the ceilin' leads to this garden up there?"

"Yeah," Gobo said.

"Let's have a look at it, then," Nevada said.

Once the six-some was back at the Great Hall, Nevada looked up, and indeed saw the hole in the ceiling where daylight was coming in.

"Okay, if this leads to that garden, then these Gorg things must use it for a well," Nevada said. "I could probably fit through the openin' there, the trouble is gettin' me up there. Incidentally, how big are these Gorgs?"

"A _lot_ bigger than you are," Red said.

"Yeah, they're humongous!" Boober shouted. "Big, hairy giants who love to thump Fraggles!"

"You'd probably come up to a Gorg's knee," Gobo said, studying Nevada, since he was standing at his full height.

"Ah ha . . . ." Nevada said, thoughtfully. "Do they have a bucket attached to their well?"

"Yeah, I think so," Gobo said.

"And would it be Gorg sized?" Nevada asked.

"Yes, I think it would," Mokey said.

"Okay, then," Nevada said. "Somebody go get the rope from my backpack."

Red ran over to Nevada's backpack and pulled out the requested rope.

"You guys take the rope, and get to the garden," Nevada said. "Then throw the bucket down here."

"I get it!" Mokey shouted. "You'll climb in the bucket, and we'll pull you up using the crank on the Gorgs' well!"

"Not exactly," Nevada said. "I think I'm a little too heavy for you guys to do that."

"Not without risking a hernia," Boober said. Red nudged him in the ribs.

"Once you get the bucket down here," Nevada explained, "take my rope, throw it over the bar that the bucket is tied to, and lower both ends down here."

"Then what?" Wembley asked.

"Then wait for me to pull myself up," Nevada said. "I'm gonna tie my rope to the bucket handle, and use it as kind of a pulley."

"Okay," Gobo said, a bit uncertainly. He wasn't sure this was going to work, but he really wanted Nevada to meet the Trash Heap, and this seemed like the only way to do it.

The Fraggle Five ran to their entrance to the Gorgs' garden. After searching around, Gobo climbed out, and signaled for the other Fraggles.

"The coast is clear," he said. "Not a Gorg in sight! Come on!"

The Fraggle Five ran into the garden and over to the Gorgs' well. They pushed the bucket to the edge of the well, and looked down.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!" Wembley shouted at the top of his lungs so any Fraggle by the pond wouldn't get clobbered by the falling bucket.

The Fraggle Five pushed the bucket into the well, and it fell into the Fraggle pond with a loud _KER-SPLASH!_ Then Gobo took Nevada's rope, and threw one end over the bar the bucket was tied to, and threw both ends into the well. Once they were within reach, Nevada grabbed the ends, and tied them to the bucket handle. Then he climbed inside, and began pulling himself up.

"I hope he hurries," Boober said, nervously. "I just know the Gorgs are going to show up any minute now!"

"I think you worry too much about the Gorgs, Boober," Red said. "Matter of fact, I think you worry too much about _every_ thing!"

Finally, Nevada reached the top of the well, and managed to climb out of the bucket, with a little help from the Fraggle Five. Then they went behind the rock to visit with Marjory, the Trash Heap. The first things they saw were her two companions, Philo and Gunge.

"Looks like them Fraggles are back again," Philo said.

"Yeah, let's get with it," Gunge said, and then he cleared his throat. That's when he noticed Nevada. "What the heck is _that_?!"

"It's a Silly Creature," Gobo said. "And he's the reason we need to see the Trash Heap."

"Silly Creature?" Nevada repeated, sounding a bit insulted.

"A Silly Creature?" Philo asked. "Good name for it. It's a silly lookin' thing if I ever saw one!"

"Yeah, takes one to know one, fella," Nevada said, glaring at the pink rat-like creature.

"And just _what_ do you mean by that?!" Philo shouted.

"You insulting us, buddy?" Gunge asked. "Put 'em up!"

"Yeah, we can take ya!" Philo shouted.

" _Nyeah_!" both shouted in unison. Suddenly, the pile of trash behind Philo and Gunge began to move, and groan.

"What the heck?" Nevada asked, arching an eyebrow.

"What's all the noise up here?" the pile of trash asked. "Can't a trash heap get some rest around here?"

"Uh oh, we're on," Gunge said, and then he cleared his throat. "You are in the presence of the _all_ seeing . . . ."

" _All_ knowing . . . ." Philo said.

"Trash Heap!" both shouted in unison. " _Nyeah_!"

" _Nyeah_! Yourselves," Nevada muttered.

"And _nyeah!_ Right back at you, pal!" Philo shouted.

"Double _nyeah!_ " Gunge shouted.

"Now, now, boys, play nice," Marjory said.

"Good morning, Madam Heap," Gobo said. "We're sorry to bother you, but, well, we wanted you to meet someone. This is Nevada. Nevada, this is the Trash Heap."

"Nevada," Marjory said, looking at the young explorer through her lorgnette. "Hmmm . . . ."

"Go on, say something!" Red shouted, giving Nevada a nudge in the leg. "Don't be rude to her!"

"Uhh, nice to meet you, uhh, Madam Heap," Nevada said. "Forgive me for starin', it's just that I've never really had a conversation with . . . . trash before."

"You look very familiar to me, young Nevada," Marjory said. "Have we met before?"

"Uhh, no, I don't think so, ma'am," Nevada said. "I think I'd remember meetin' a talkin' trash heap."

"Yes, that's true," Marjory said. "No, you couldn't have been the Silly Creature I met before. You don't look old enough."

"You've met a Silly Creature before, Madam Heap?" Mokey asked.

"Oh yes," Marjory said. "But it was a _very_ long time ago. It's been at least . . . . . fifty years, I believe, since I last saw one."

"Wow, I never knew that," Gobo said. "We just brought Nevada up here to ask you if you knew how he knew the Moon Lullaby!"

"He told us his grandfather taught it to him," Mokey explained.

"Grandfather!" Marjory shouted. "Oh, well, then that explains it! Of course you couldn't be the Silly Creature I met, you must be his grandson!"

"Uhhh, I'm not sure I'm followin' this," Nevada said. "You want to explain, please?"

"Tell me, young Nevada," Marjory said. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Nesmith, would it?"

"Yeah, actually," Nevada said. "Nevada Nesmith. Why?"

"And you wouldn't happen to be related to a Johnny Nesmith, would you?" Marjory asked.

"You mean John Nesmith?" Nevada asked. "That was my grandfather's name."

"Of course!" Marjory shouted. "Oooohhh, of course! I knew it! I knew you had to be a relative of Johnny's! My, my, you are just the spitting image of him!"

"What's going on here?" Red asked. She and the other Fraggles were looking at the Trash Heap as if she lost her mind.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little Fraggles," Marjory said. "I'm just so excited! I haven't seen Johnny Nesmith in fifty years, and now, here's his grandson! Tell me, Nevada, what is Johnny doing these days?"

"Not much," Nevada said, shrugging. "He died nine years ago."

"Oooohhh," Marjory said. "That's too bad. I'm sorry to hear that, Nevada. He was a good man. Brave, daring, and handsome . . . . just like you, I bet."

"How do you even _know_ him?" Nevada asked.

"Well, young Nevada," Marjory said. "You aren't the first Silly Creature to visit me and the Fraggles! Your grandfather came to see us once, a long time ago."

"Really?" Wembley asked. "Wow!"

"Yes, indeed," Marjory said. "He explored out here in the Gorg's garden, and what lies beyond it, and he explored down in your Fraggle Rock. Matter of fact, he probably even met some Fraggles."

"He did?" Gobo asked. "Wow!"

"Maybe we should ask the World's Oldest Fraggle about this!" Red shouted.

"Good," Marjory said. "Go ask your World's Oldest Fraggle. Goodbye, little Fraggles. Goodbye, Nevada."

"The Trash Heap has spoken!" Gunge and Philo said in unison. " _Nyeah_!"

"Let's go!" Gobo shouted.

"Which way?" Mokey asked. "Down the tunnel, or down the well?"

"I'm going down the tunnel," Boober said. "It's safer."

"I don't have an alternative," Nevada said. "I _have_ to go down the well, or I'm gonna get stuck in that hole in the rock."

"I think I'm gonna try the well method," Red said. "It looks like fun!"

"It is," Gobo said. "Last one to the well is a stale Doozer stick!"

With that, Gobo and Red raced to the well. Nevada limped after them, steadying himself on whatever was handy, but it wasn't easy. Wembley was trying to decide which way he wanted to return to the Great Hall. The way through the opening in the rock was safer, but longer. The way through the well was faster, but slightly more dangerous (it would be easier for a Gorg to catch a Fraggle there). Finally, he decided to go with the well. He ran up to Nevada, and positioned himself so Nevada's hand was on his shoulder.

"Need any help?" he asked. "You might get to the well faster if I help you!"

"No, thanks, I can manage," Nevada said.

"Oh," Wembley said, sounding disappointed. Nevada noticed this, and sighed.

"What the heck?" he said, putting his arm around Wembley's shoulders. "It might take me forever to get to that well, and I'm gonna need someone to drop a rope down so I can pull myself up to the darn thing."

"Okay!" Wembley shouted, excitedly, and he and Nevada made their way to the Gorg's well.


	7. Nevada vs Junior

Gobo and Red were at the well, waiting for Wembley and Nevada. Once they arrived, the two Fraggles threw down a piece of rope for them to climb on.

"Better hurry, fellas," Gobo said. "You never know when a Gorg is going to show up!"

"Ah ha!" a voice shouted, and Gobo and Red were suddenly snatched up by none other than Junior Gorg.

"Got you, you Fwaggles, you!" Junior shouted.

"Oh no!" Wembley shouted.

"What in the wide world of sports is _that_?!" Nevada shouted, getting a good look at the hairy giant.

"That's Junior Gorg!" Wembley shouted, trying to hide behind Nevada's leg.

"Oh, so _that's_ a Gorg," Nevada said, nonchalantly. "He's a big one, isn't he?"

"That's kind of putting it mildly," Wembley said. "We've got to do something before he thumps Red and Gobo!"

"Okay, kiddo, okay, calm down," Nevada said. Then he took what looked like a piece of string attached to a stick off his belt. "I know exactly how to take care of this."

"What's that?" Wembley asked.

"It's my whip," Nevada said. "A couple of cracks should take care of this character."

The young explorer threw the whip behind him, raised it over his head, looped it, and threw it forward as hard as he could. With a _whoosh_ , it hit Junior right in the knee.

 _CRACK!_

"Ooooowwwww!" Junior shouted, immediately dropping Red and Gobo to the ground.

"Ow!" Gobo shouted once he hit the ground, flat on his stomach. But he wasn't really hurt. Then, as luck would have it, Red landed right on top of him.

"Ooof!" he grunted.

"Thanks for breaking my fall, Gobo," Red said.

"Yeah," Gobo groaned. "And thanks for breaking my back, Red!"

"I'm gonna get you Fwaggles!" Junior shouted, and he reached for Gobo and Red, but before he could . . . .

 _Whoosh!_

 _CRACK!_

"Yah!" Junior shouted, as he took a couple of steps back. This gave Gobo and Red a chance to duck behind Nevada's legs with Wembley.

"Back off, you big gorilla!" Nevada shouted.

"What's a gowilla?" Junior asked, confused. "And who are you? Fuwthow more, _what_ are you?"

"Your worst nightmare!" Nevada shouted, cracking his whip again, this time at the ground in front of Junior.

"I'm not afwaid of you!" Junior shouted. "You may be bigger than the Fwaggles, but you're not bigger than me! I could squash you like an over-wipe squash!"

Junior was about to do just that, but Nevada stood his ground, and cracked his whip a couple of times again. The cracking noise made Junior nervous, and it downright hurt when it hit him in the leg.

"Back!" Nevada shouted, cracking his whip several times in front of Junior. "Back, you beast! Back!"

"Okay, okay!" Junior shouted. "I'm sowwy! Just stop that! Help, King Daddy! Help, Queen Mommy! There's a mean little bug out in the garden! Aaaaahhhhh!"

With a final crack of his whip, Junior ran back inside the Gorg's castle. Gobo, Red, and Wembley laughed, and they climbed back up onto the well.

"That was great, Nevada!" Gobo shouted. "How did you do that?"

"I'm used to handlin' big, dangerous animals," Nevada said, rolling up his whip, and putting it back on his belt. "It helps keep them at bay. Now, let's get back to your Great Hall and talk to this World's Oldest Fraggle. All aboard!"

"We have a faster way of doing this," Gobo said. "But I wouldn't expect you to do it, Nevada, considering your ankle and all. See you down in the Great Hall!"

Nevada gave Gobo a weird look, but before he could say anything, the orange Fraggle jumped into the well.

"Yahoooooo!" he shouted.

"Whoopeeeee!" Red shouted, as she dove into the well.

"Wheeeeee!" Wembley shouted, as he, too, jumped down.

"Well, when in Fraggle Rock, do as the Fraggles do," Nevada said, shrugging. He let go of the rope, and let the bucket fall.

"Geronimoooooo!" he yelled.

The three Fraggles, and the Gorg's bucket hit the Fraggle Pond, and created such a giant splash, all the water was knocked out of it. Every single Fraggle in the Great Hall was soaked, but they didn't mind it (much). Instead, they just cheered. Three Fraggles held up signs that read "10," "9.5," and "6." The Fraggle with the 9.5 card nudged the one with the 6 card, and he turned it upside down so it read "9."

"What took you guys so long?" Boober asked as he took off his cap and wrung it out.

"We had a run-in with a Gorg," Red said, climbing out of the pond. "But Nevada sure took care of him!"

"Yeah, it was nothin'," Nevada said, cringing a little as he climbed out of the bucket. "Ooohh! Think maybe we could take five before we see this World's Oldest Fraggle? My foot's killin' me!"

"Sure, Nevada," Gobo said. "We'll bring the World's Oldest Fraggle to you instead. Come on, guys!"

Nevada then hopped over to his sleeping bag on his good foot, sat down, and heaved a huge, relieved-sounding sigh. Then he began to massage his sore ankle.

"How long do you think it's going to take before your ankle gets better?" Wembley asked.

"Anywhere from five days to two weeks," Nevada said. "Maybe more the way I was limpin' around up there just now."

"Gee, maybe you should stay off it for the next couple of days, huh?"

"You said a mouthful, kiddo."

Nevada groaned, leaned back against the wall, and propped his foot up on a nearby rock. Wembley watched him, and sat down next to him.

"Don't worry about your ankle," he said. "We'll take care of you until you're able to walk on it."

"That's good to know," Nevada said, tousling Wembley's hair. Things got quiet just then. Nevada closed his eyes, and tried to catch a quick nap, but he was interrupted.

"Did you _really_ go hunting for a one-eyed statue?" Wembley asked.

"How'd you know about that?" Nevada asked.

"Gobo and I were there when you came to the Silly Creature's," Wembley explained. "We heard you tell him all your adventure stories."

"Oh," Nevada said, nodding. "Yeah, I really did. But it wasn't the one-eyed statue I was lookin' for. It was a jewel called the Eye of the Tiger."

"Why was it called that?"

"Because it was stolen from the statue of a tiger. See, this tiger statue represented a tiger god, and somebody stole it because it was worth a lot of money. I had heard about this, so I went out to see if I could track it down and . . . . ."

Nevada weaved the entire tale of the Eye of the Tiger for Wembley, just like he did for Doc.

"You must be really brave to face off giant monsters like that," Wembley said.

"They weren't monsters, they were just tigers," Nevada said. "But they _do_ have sharp claws, and sharp teeth."

"Gee, sometimes I wish I could be brave like Gobo. He goes exploring all the time, and he's _never_ scared of anything. Not even Gorgs, or Hairy Beasts, or anything! He could probably take on a tiger!"

"I doubt it. A tiger would tear Gobo to shreds. Let me tell you somethin', kiddo. Adventurin' ain't for everyone. And it isn't as glamorous as my stories make it out to be. It's a lot of hard work, and it involves a lot of risks. It can be scary at times, too."

"Then why do it?"

"I don't know. There's somethin' about the thrill of it that I love. When my grandfather told me stories of his adventures, I knew I wanted to do the same. Though my parents tried to talk me out of it. Matter of fact, they still do. Not to mention I've got Jerry on my back all the time . . . ."

"Who's Jerry?"

"My best friend. He doesn't like the idea of me takin' all these chances. He's always worryin' I'm gonna wind up killin' myself."

"That's because he cares about you."

"I know. But I just can't see myself doin' anythin' else, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I think I do. It's like Gobo can't see himself not exploring, and Red can't see herself not swimming, and Mokey can't see herself not painting, Boober can't see himself not doing the laundry, and like that, right?"

"Right."

Wembley nodded, and leaned against Nevada, yawning. Nevada laughed.

"Jer's always told me that old Eye of the Tiger story would put someone to sleep someday," he said, rubbing the green Fraggle's back.

"No, it didn't put me to sleep," Wembley said, drowsily. "Tell me another one of your adventures."

Nevada stifled a laugh, and began to tell Wembley about the time he was in the arctic looking for a crystal called the Icicle of Doom. However, he only got halfway through it before he realized Wembley had fallen asleep.

"You've got the right idea here, kiddo," he said, stifling a yawn. "I could use forty winks myself."

Nevada leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, falling asleep shortly afterward. By that time, the other four Fraggles returned to the Great Hall with the World's Oldest Fraggle.

"That him?" the World's Oldest Fraggle asked. "The Silly Creature you want me to meet?"

"Ssshhh!" Gobo hissed. "Yeah, that's him. Nevada Nesmith."

"Maybe we ought to do this later," Mokey whispered. "They look so peaceful. It would be a shame to wake them up."

"Yeah, and you know how Wembley hasn't gotten much sleep in the last two days," Gobo said.

"We'll have plenty of time to get acquainted," the World's Oldest Fraggle said. "He's not going to be going anywhere any time soon. Not unless you young Fraggles know of a way to get him back into Outer Space."

"Oh, gee, we hadn't thought of that," Boober said. "How _are_ we going to get Nevada back into Outer Space?"

"We'll worry about that later," Gobo said. "Right now, I say we just let him and Wembley sleep."

"Good idea," Boober said. "Nevada needs to stay off that ankle. I'm surprised he didn't hurt it more since we went up to see the Trash Heap!"

The other Fraggles nodded, and left, so they wouldn't disturb Wembley and Nevada. While they were sleeping, Wembley began dreaming. In his dream, Fraggle Rock was being invaded by an army poison cacklers.

"We're doomed!" Boober shouted. "All is lost!"

"Isn't there anyone who can save us?" Mokey shouted, somewhat over-dramatically.

"Don't worry, everybody!" a voice from an overhead ledge shouted. "I'll save you!"

(insert the _Indiana Jones_ theme music here)

All the Fraggles looked up toward the crevice and saw Wembley, holding a whip and wearing a brown fedora.

"Hooray!" Gobo cheered. "It's Wembley Fraggle, the bravest adventurer in the Rock!"

"We're saved!" Red shouted.

Wembley threw the whip forward, circling it around a stalactite, and swung down, knocking one of the poison cacklers over with his feet. The cacklers didn't like that, and they began to advance. Wembley took his whip and began cracking it.

"Back!" he shouted, striking one right in the head. "Back, you savages! Back, I say!"

"Be careful, Wembley!" Mokey shouted.

"Don't worry, Mokey!" Wembley shouted. "I know what I'm doing!"

Wembley continued cracking his whip at the cacklers, hitting a couple of them with it. The cacklers couldn't get anywhere near the Fraggles at this rate. They finally gave up, and crawled off to parts unknown. All the Fraggles cheered.

"They're gone!" Boober shouted. "We're saved!"

"Hooray!" Large Marvin cheered.

"Yahoo!" Feenie shouted.

"My hero!" Lou, Wembley's crush, shouted, giving Wembley a big kiss.

"Let's hear it for Wembley!" Gobo shouted.

"Wembley! Wembley! Wembley!" all the Fraggles began chanting, over and over again. Pretty soon, the chanting of several Fraggle voices started to sound like only Gobo.

"Wembley?" Gobo asked. "Come on, Wembley, wake up!"

"Hmmm?" Wembley asked, as his dream faded into reality.

"Come on, sleepyhead," Mokey coaxed. "Time to go."

"Time to go?" Wembley repeated. "Go where?"

"Go to bed," Gobo said, pulling his friend to his feet. "Come on, you can't sleep out here all night."

"But I was having such a great dream," Wembley said. "I saved everybody from an army of poison cacklers!"

"Oh my!" Mokey shouted. "What an exciting dream! You can tell us all about it in the morning."

"But . . . ." Wembley began.

"Come on, buddy," Gobo said, steadying the sleepy green Fraggle. "Let's go."

"Okay," Wembley said. He was really too drowsy to argue, anyway. But he did manage to tell Gobo about his dream.

"I was just like Nevada fighting Junior Gorg," he said. "Cracking a whip, and everything. He's the bravest Silly Creature I've ever met!"

"Yeah, he sure is," Gobo said. "So you think it's the end of your nightmares?"

"Yeah, I think so," Wembley said, yawning. "Goodnight, Gobo."

"'Night, Wembley," Gobo said, climbing down the ladder, and crawling into his own bed.

Wembley curled up, and went to sleep, dreaming about being a brave explorer, and rescuing his friends from Gorgs, poison cacklers, and earthquakes.


	8. More Stories

The next morning, the Fraggle Five brought the World's Oldest Fraggle, and his sidekick, Henchy, to Nevada.

"So, this is the Silly Creature," the World's Oldest Fraggle said.

"Yeah, it sure is," Gobo said. "World's Oldest Fraggle, meet Nevada Nesmith. Nevada Nesmith, meet the World's Oldest Fraggle."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nishwash," the World's Oldest Fraggle said.

"Nesmith," Nevada corrected.

"We haven't had a Silly Creature down here in fifty years!" the World's Oldest Fraggle shouted. "Long before any of you were born. Aahh yes, I remember him well."

"That didn't happen to be John Nesmith, did it?" Nevada asked.

"Matter of fact, yes, I believe it was," the World's Oldest Fraggle said. "Yes, Johnny Nipsmouth."

"Nesmith," Henchy said.

"I know that!" the World's Oldest Fraggle shouted, bopping Henchy in the nose with his cane. "I was just testing you!"

"So you knew my grandfather," Nevada said. "How did he wind up here?"

"Oh, about the same as you did, sonny," the World's Oldest Fraggle said. "By accident!"

"It wasn't during an earthquake was it?" Boober asked.

"No, actually," the World's Oldest Fraggle said. "I believe he just wandered in out of some tunnel or another."

"Gee, I wonder why Uncle Traveling Matt never told me that," Gobo said.

"Oh, he was too young to remember," the World's Oldest Fraggle said. "He was only a baby when ol' Johnny came to visit us. Yes, sir, I remember ol' Johnny well. Looked a lot like you, Nevada."

"That's what everyone tells me," Nevada said, shrugging. "What did he do while he was down here?"

"Explore the place, what else?" the World's Oldest Fraggle said. "He took back a couple of rollies. I remember I gave him a very special one."

"What's a rollie?" Nevada asked.

"Smooth, round pebbles," Gobo explained.

"Kinda like this?" Nevada said, reaching into the pocket of his khakis. He pulled out what looked like a large, shiny, multi-colored marble.

"Oh, how pretty!" Mokey shouted.

"Yeah, that's a rollie, all right!" Gobo shouted.

"Wow!" Wembley shouted. "I've never seen one like that before!"

"Ooooh, it's a _honey_!" Boober shouted. "Not as great as a perfect blue rollie, but not a bad one, either."

"Where'd you get it, Nevada?" Red asked.

"My grandfather gave it to me when I was ten," Nevada said. "He said he got it from a good friend, and it always brought him luck. I carried it with me ever since."

"Wasn't very lucky during that earthquake, was it?" Boober asked.

"Cut it out, Boober!" Red scolded.

"Yessir, that's the exact same rollie I gave to ol' Johnny Nesbaum," the World's Oldest Fraggle said.

"Nesmith," Henchy corrected.

"I know that!" the World's Oldest Fraggle shouted, giving Henchy yet another knock to the noggin.

"Why do you put up with that, Henchy?" Mokey asked.

"It's a living," Henchy said, shrugging.

"How long did my grandfather spend down here?" Nevada asked.

"Quite awhile," the World's Oldest Fraggle said. "I'm not exactly sure how long, but it was about . . . . a week and a half, I think. We taught him the way of the Fraggle."

"What's the way of the Fraggle?" Nevada asked.

"To have fun!" the World's Oldest Fraggle shouted, taking out a small party horn, and blowing into it. "What else?! Whoo hoo-hoo-hoo!"

And with that, the World's Oldest Fraggle began hopping all over the Great Hall, doing handsprings and cartwheels all over the place.

"That's a Fraggle's lot in life, Nevada," Gobo explained.

"So I see," Nevada said, dryly, as he watched the World's Oldest Fraggle flip around the room. Finally, he stopped, and stood in front of Nevada.

"In any case, welcome to Fraggle Rock, and we hope you enjoy your stay," he said. "Which may be a long one. I don't know how you're gonna get outta here!"

"Oh, I'll manage," Nevada said. "Nice meetin' you, World's Oldest Fraggle."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Nevada," the World's Oldest Fraggle said. "Any friend of Johnny Nesslerood's is a friend of mine."

"Nesmith!" Henchy, Gobo, Red, Wembley, Mokey, Boober, and Nevada shouted in unison.

"That, too," the World's Oldest Fraggle said, and he and Henchy walked off.

"He does bring up a good point," Nevada said. "How the heck _am_ I gonna get out of here?"

"You think maybe he could get out through the hole to Outer Space?" Wembley asked.

"I doubt he'd even be able to get into the tunnel," Boober said.

"Boober's right, it _is_ kind of small," Mokey said.

"How about coming out the way he came in?" Red said.

"I don't think so," Nevada said.

"Why? How'd you come in?" Gobo asked.

"Straight down," Nevada said.

"Hmm, this _is_ gonna be harder than I thought," Gobo said.

"Don't worry about it right now, you guys," Nevada said. "Let's wait until I can walk on my ankle first."

"Good idea," Boober said. "Because it'll never heal if you keep walking on it!"

Things hit a lull just then. Nobody knew what they were going to do next. Suddenly, Wembley got an idea, and practically dove into Nevada's lap.

"Oof!" Nevada groaned. "Take it easy, there, kid!"

"Tell us about one of your adventures, Nevada!" Wembley shouted.

"I don't know, I'm kind of tired," Nevada said.

"How can you be tired?" Red asked. "You've just been sitting there."

"You guys run around so much, I get tired just watchin' you!" Nevada shouted.

"Oh, please, Nevada!" Wembley begged. "Please, please, please?"

"Come on, Wembley, don't pester the guy!" Gobo shouted. "He's not in the mood for storytelling."

"But I want to hear them now before he leaves!" Wembley shouted. "Because after Nevada leaves, I'll never get to hear them again!"

"Ooooh!" Red shouted, excitedly. "I know! I'll go get the Storyteller!"

"Good idea, Red," Gobo said. "If the Storyteller knows Nevada's stories, then you'll get to hear them whenever you want, Wembley."

"Okay," Wembley said, as he made himself comfortable in Nevada's lap.

"You're really getting attached to Nevada, aren't you, Wembley?" Mokey asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Wembley said.

"You guess so?" Boober repeated. "You've been sticking to the guy like Doozer glue ever since he got here!"

"That's it!" Gobo shouted, suddenly.

"What's it?" Nevada asked.

"The Doozers!" Gobo shouted. "Why didn't I think of it before?"

"What about the Doozers?" Mokey asked.

"They can help us get Nevada back to Outer Space!" Gobo shouted. "If you came straight down, then you have to go up again, right?"

"Right," Nevada said.

"Then it's simple," Gobo said. "We'll ask the Doozers to build something that you can climb to get back up!"

"What a good idea!" Mokey shouted.

"I'll go talk to Cotterpin!" Gobo shouted. "I'm sure she'll be able to talk the other Doozers into helping us!"

And with that, Gobo ran off. Mokey and Boober followed him. By that time, Red returned with the Storyteller.

"Where'd everybody go?" she asked.

"They're talking to the Doozers," Wembley said, sounding a bit disappointed. "Gobo thinks they can help get Nevada back into Outer Space."

"So this is the Silly Creature everyone's been talking about," the Storyteller said.

"Yeah, that's me, all right," Nevada said. "Red thinks I should tell you my adventures."

"Mostly for Wembley's sake," Red said. "See, he's taken a liking to Nevada's stories, and when he leaves, he won't be able to hear them anymore."

"Well, I've got a pencil and paper right here," the Storyteller said, taking out a notebook and a pencil. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Okay, then," Nevada said. "What story shall I weave today?"

"What about the one about the mice?" Wembley asked. "Gobo and I heard it while we were up in Outer Space when you first came."

"Oh yeah, the Mouzetec tribe in Mexico," Nevada said, nodding. "That one was kind of weird, but here it goes. See, what happened was this kid came to me because his father was missin' in Mexico. The kid's father was an archaeologist and while he was explorin' an old temple . . . ."

While Nevada told the story, the Storyteller wrote it down. Wembley and Red were riveted. It was strange. When Wembley first heard the story while he and Gobo were getting the postcard from Traveling Matt, he was scared silly, but now, he was having fun. Once he was finished telling it, Gobo, Mokey, and Boober returned, carrying Cotterpin Doozer.

"It's all set, Nevada," Cotterpin said. "I talked to the Architect, and we got to work drawing up some plans, and we think we've got a winner. Tomorrow, we're going to build a tower for you to climb on. But it's going to take awhile to finish, considering it's going to have to be so huge."

"That's okay, it's gonna take awhile before my ankle heals," Nevada said. "My guess is by the time you finish this tower, my ankle will be okay to walk on."

"Come on," Cotterpin said. "Let's go get the other Doozers and show them the building site so they have an idea what they're in for."

"Sure," Gobo said. "You guys want to come?"

"No, I have laundry to do," Boober said. "If I don't get it on the line soon, it'll mildew."

"I'll go with you, Gobo," Mokey said.

"Me too," Red replied. "You coming, Wembley?"

"No, I think I'm gonna stay here," Wembley said.

"Suit yourself," Gobo said, and he, Mokey, and Red went to collect the Doozers.

"I wish you didn't have to leave, Nevada," Wembley said, rolling over onto his back.

"I'm not goin' for awhile," Nevada said. "You heard what Cotterpin said! It's gonna take some time to build this tower. It _was_ kind of a long drop, you know!"

"Yeah, I know. But I don't want you to leave anyway!"

"But I have to leave some time. Jerry's probably wonderin' where I've been, and he'll start worryin'. Then he'll call my mother and _she'll_ start worryin'. And then she'll wind up worryin' herself into a heart attack."

"That doesn't sound good. Guess you have to go back when the time comes, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much. But like Cotterpin said, it's gonna take awhile, so we might as well have all the fun we can."

"How?"

"Like this for example!"

Nevada then began tickling Wembley's tummy, since the green Fraggle was laying on his back. Wembley let out a startled yelp, and began laughing. Nevada had a sneaky look on his face, and began tickling him harder. Wembley tried to fight back, but Nevada was way too fast for him, and wound up tickling Wembley silly.


	9. Exploring the Rock

For the next two days, Gobo, Red, and Mokey watched the Doozers build up a tower where Mokey had first found Nevada. This was going to be unlike any Doozer tower they had ever seen before, since the Doozer towers always looked like construction frames. They were pretty flimsy, too. They had to build something that would support Nevada's weight, and everyone, even the Fraggles, knew this was going to take a _lot_ of Doozer sticks to accomplish. Gobo, Red, and Mokey were also there to make sure none of the other Fraggles could snack on this construction, at least not until Nevada had left.

"Maybe we ought to keep this tower standing," Mokey said.

"Oh no, Mokey, you're not going to try to convince us to stop eating Doozer constructions _again_ , are you?" Red groaned.

"Oh, no, it's not that, Red," Mokey said. "I was just thinking about Nevada's grandfather. How he never came back to Fraggle Rock after he left. What if Nevada wanted to come back to visit us? How would he get here?"

"I think the temptation would be too much for me," Gobo said.

"And I _know_ it would be too much for Large Marvin!" Red shouted. "We'd better keep him away from this tunnel until after Nevada's gone!"

"Where _is_ Large Marvin, anyway?" Mokey asked. "I thought we'd have to fight him tooth and nail to keep him away from the construction site."

"I think he's back at the Great Hall," Gobo said. "I told Nevada about Large Marvin's appetite, and he said he'd help keep him busy."

"How?" Red asked.

"I don't know," Gobo said. "Let's find out, eh?"

The three Fraggles then left the Doozers to do their work, and went to the Great Hall. There they found Large Marvin and Nevada, along with Wembley and Feenie, playing with a deck of cards Nevada had in his backpack.

"What's up, you guys?" Gobo asked.

"Mr. Nevada's teaching us card games!" Feenie shouted. "We're in the middle of a great one! It's called Draw Poker!"

"I'm in for two radish chips," Nevada said, taking two radish chips off his pile and throwing them into the center.

"I'll see your two and raise you two," Large Marvin replied, tossing in a couple of radish chips from his own pile (and tossing one in his mouth).

"Are you _gamb_ ling?!" Mokey shouted, incredulously.

"It's okay, Mokey, it's just radish chips," Nevada said. "It's not like we're playin' for money or anythin'."

"Money?" Mokey asked. "What's money?"

"Boy, you guys are further out to lunch than I thought," Nevada said.

"I call," Wembley said, tossing four radish chips into the center.

"Me too," Feenie said.

"Read 'em and weep, boys," Nevada said. "Two pair. Nines and Jacks."

"Not bad," Large Marvin said. "But I got three three's!"

"Wait a minute," Wembley said, grabbing Large Marvin's hand before he could take the radish chips. "I got a straight!"

"Gee, I guess I lose," Feenie said. "I just got two pairs of ones."

The others looked, and saw that Feenie had four aces. Wembley, Large Marvin, and Nevada groaned loudly.

"You win," Wembley sighed. "Again."

"That's the fifth hand in a row he's won," Nevada said.

"Oh well," Large Marvin said, shrugging. "Easy come, easy go!"

And with that, Large Marvin took his pile of radish chips, got up, and left, while munching on them.

"Hey, wait for me, Large Marvin!" Feenie shouted, and he stood up and followed his friend, taking his radish chips with him. Gobo and Red followed them, to make sure Large Marvin didn't go near the construction site.

"Honestly," Mokey mumbled, disapprovingly.

"What's wrong, Mokey?" Wembley asked, piling up what was left of his radish chips.

"Wembley, you're too young to be gambling!" Mokey scolded.

"Take it easy, Mokey, we weren't bein' serious!" Nevada shouted. "I had to do _some_ thin'! I'm goin' stir crazy sittin' here doin' nothin'!"

"Yeah, Mokey, stir crazy!" Wembley shouted.

"I know, but you need to stay off your ankle," Mokey said. "Why don't you write about your time here with us? I saw a journal in your backpack."

"Heh," Nevada grumbled. He reached for his backpack, pulled out his journal, opened it to a page, and handed it to Mokey.

"Read that," he said.

"Oh, okay," Mokey said, taking the journal. "Dear journal, it is my fifth day here in Fraggle Rock, and my third day of convalescence, due to my sprained ankle. I can't help being bored out of my skull sitting here doing nothing. And since I'm sitting here doing nothing, I have nothing to write about. Oh."

"Uh huh," Nevada said, nodding.

"Well, ummm . . . ." Mokey said, trying to think. "Oh, I know! How about telling Wembley another story?"

"I've gone through them all already," Nevada said. "If I have to go through them again, I'm gonna scream. No offense, Wembley, but I'm sick and tired of my own stories."

"It's okay," Wembley said. "I'd probably be bored stiff if I were in your shoes, Nevada."

"Is there anything you would like to do?" Mokey asked.

"Yeah, get up and explore this place!" Nevada shouted. "I'm just _dyin'_ to get a better look around here!"

"Yeah, there are _lots_ of great places to go down here!" Wembley shouted, and he began bouncing up and down excitedly. "Gobo knows them all! There's Mossy Cavern, and Roaring Ravine, and the Singing Caverns, and Sweetwater Grotto, and the Crystal Cavern . . . . ."

"Easy there, fella," Nevada said, grabbing Wembley by the shoulders to get him to stop bouncing. "Keep that up, and you'll go right through the roof!"

"Fraggles his age tend to get very excited over things," Mokey explained.

"So I've noticed," Nevada said.

"Unfortunately, all of that will have to wait," Mokey said, looking at Nevada's ankle.

"Oh come on, it's been three days!" Nevada shouted. "Let ol' Doc Boober take a look at it. From what I've been told, he's the expert!"

Mokey sighed, and went to go find Boober. Once she was gone, Wembley climbed onto Nevada's lap, and leaned back against the explorer's abdomen.

"Wonder how it's going with the Doozers?" he asked.

"Beats me," Nevada said, shrugging. "I can't go look at what they're doin' anyway, accordin' to General Mokey."

"I heard that!" Mokey called from down the tunnel. Wembley giggled at that, but stopped abruptly when he heard Nevada groan.

"No sense you sittin' here bein' bored out of your skull, kiddo," Nevada said, taking the green Fraggle off his lap. "Why don't you go and play or check out the construction site, or somethin' like that?"

"Nah, that's okay," Wembley said. "I don't mind. Unless you want me to go, that is."

Before Nevada could answer, Gobo came over to them.

"Well, the construction site's clear," he said. "Red's got the place roped off to keep Large Marvin away from the Doozer sticks. How are things here?"

" _Bor_ ing!" Nevada shouted. "I'm gettin' a little restless here, Gobo-baby. I've gotta get up and get movin'!"

"Yeah, but General Mokey won't let him," Wembley said.

"Wembley, don't you start that, too!" Mokey shouted, as she and Boober came into the Great Hall.

"Sorry, Mokey," Wembley said.

"General Mokey?" Gobo asked, trying hard to suppress a laugh.

"I'll explain later," Nevada said. "Okay, Boober, you're the resident medical expert here. What's your opinion?"

"Hmmm . . . ." Boober said, thoughtfully, and he began to examine Nevada's ankle. It had, after all, been five days since Nevada sprained it, and the swelling had gone down. The bruise was clearing up as well.

"Does it hurt to move your ankle?" Boober asked. Nevada then began moving his injured foot in a circle.

"A little bit," he said, "but I can at least move it in a full circle without screamin' in pain."

"I see," Boober said, thoughtfully. "Well, then my diagnosis is simple. Stay off it for another week or so."

"What?!" Nevada shouted. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!"

"You shouldn't go walking around on a sprained ankle," Boober said. "You'll only make it worse! You could hurt yourself all over again, or you might get chronic stiffness in your ankle, or you might lose the movement in it all together!"

"Boober, let me level with ya," Nevada said. "If I don't get up and do somethin' soon, I'm gonna flip out, and you do _not_ want to see me flip out!"

"I'm sorry, Nevada, but I can't let you hurt yourself more than you already have," Boober said. "Now you just sit back and relax, keep your foot elevated, and I'll bring you some nice, hot radish soup."

"I'd better go get a radish then," Mokey said. "See you boys later."

With that, Boober and Mokey went off. Once they were gone, Nevada grimaced.

"Radish soup," he groaned, wrinkling his nose. "Yuck!"

"Sounds good to me," Gobo said. "I love radish soup!"

"Sure, you guys live on radishes," Nevada said. "But we humans don't. Give me a good cheeseburger any day."

"What's a cheeseburger?" Wembley asked.

"It's a hamburger with cheese," Nevada explained.

"What's a hamburger?" Gobo asked

"Well, see, it's . . . ." Nevada said, however, he thought over explaining it, and decided not to, considering he wasn't so sure how the Fraggles would take it when they heard some humans ate animals.

"In any case," he said, changing the subject, "is Boober gone?"

"Yeah, he's gone," Wembley said.

"Good," Nevada said, and he began to stand up. He took a couple of steps forward, and cringed a little, but the pain wasn't as bad as it was five days ago.

"What are you doing, Nevada?" Gobo asked.

"Stretchin' my legs," Nevada said. "If I sit there any longer, I swear, I'm gonna grow roots!"

"Yeah, I'm with you," Gobo said. "I got thumped by a Gorg once, and broke my leg. I couldn't _wait_ to get back to moving again!"

"So, what do you guys say we go explorin' the rock?" Nevada said. "Wembley said there's lots of places to go around here, and you know 'em all, Gobo."

"Well, I wouldn't say I know them _all_ ," Gobo said, trying unsuccessfully to sound modest. "There's probably two or three places out there I haven't discovered yet, but yeah, I know mostly all of them."

"Good to know," Nevada said. "Come on, boys, let's hit the trail!"

With that, Gobo and Wembley led Nevada back to their cave, so they could pack some supplies, and get Gobo's maps. Once they were packed, they started off. Thanks to Gobo's maps, their locations were found quickly. They went to Chimney Hole Cavern first, though Nevada felt like he was getting a stiff neck looking up at the hole in the ceiling. Then they went to the Echo Hole, but Nevada didn't get that good a look at it, since it could only be accessed by a very flimsy looking bridge, and Nevada didn't want to take his chances while his ankle was still sore. Then they passed a place known as Radish Dust Glen, where they spotted a bunch of baby Doozers building towers and bridges out of radish dust.

"How do you like that?" Gobo asked. "Even when Doozers are babies, they build things, eh?"

"Every time I see those Doozers, they're always workin'," Nevada said. "Don't they ever take a break?"

"Nope," Gobo said, as he, Nevada, and Wembley began walking off. "Just as it's the Fraggles' lot in life to have fun, the Doozers' lot in life is to work."

"But without the Doozers, we wouldn't have yummy Doozer Sticks," Wembley said. "And if we didn't eat their constructions, they wouldn't have any room to build, and we'd all be crowded out by their buildings."

"I see," Nevada said. "I think."

Gobo and Wembley laughed a little, and they continued with their guided tour of Fraggle Rock. Once the trio left Radish Dust Glen, they visited Squeaky Cavern, where Boober usually went to get soap. Then they went to Sweetwater Grotto. Everywhere the trio went, Nevada wrote about it in his journal, and did some sketching.

"Do you draw normally, Nevada?" Wembley asked.

"Sometimes," Nevada said, making a sketch of what looked like a butterfly, but drew it's wings as if it were made out of a spiderweb. Then he showed it to the two Fraggles.

"Hey, that's a pretty good drawing of a spiderfly," Gobo said.

"Oh, that's what that is," Nevada said. "There are times I wish Jerry would go with me spelunkin' in these caverns."

"How come?" Gobo asked.

"He's a photographer," Nevada said.

"What's a photographer?" Wembley asked.

"Someone who takes pictures," Nevada said.

"Oh," Wembley said. "Where does he take them?"

"No, no, he takes pictures with a camera," Nevada explained.

"What's a camera?" Gobo asked.

"Skip it," Nevada said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, we have one more stop to make," Gobo said, "then we should start heading back."

"Where are we goin'?" Nevada asked.

"The most _beau_ tiful place in the universe!" Gobo shouted. "The Crystal Cavern."

"Yeah, I discovered it!" Wembley shouted, excitedly. "Wait'll you see it, Nevada!"

"We've got to warn you though, that's where the Rock Clingers live," Gobo said.

"Rock Clingers, huh?" Nevada asked, ducking down to avoid smacking his head on a stalactite. "Those anything like Gorgs?"

"No, not really," Wembley said. "But they're pretty disgusting!"

"Yeah, they're so disgustingly _cute_!" Gobo said, scrunching his face in disgust. " _Bleeeccchhhh_!"

"That bad, huh?" Nevada asked.

"I'll say!" Wembley shouted. " _Ick_! If you follow one, they'll fall in love with you and cling to you forever! _Yuuucccchhhh!_ "

Nevada stifled a laugh, and the trio went on their way, following Gobo's map. It took a little while to get to the cavern, though, since Gobo and Wembley were looking around for Rock Clingers. Nevada was having a very hard time controlling his laughter over this one.

"Sure, you laugh about it now," Gobo said. "Just wait until you actually _meet_ a Rock Clinger!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Nevada said. "I just find it kind of amusin' that you guys would hate somethin' cute."

"We don't hate cute, Nevada," Wembley said. "We just hate dis _gusting_ ly cute."

"Well, we're here," Gobo said. "And not a Rock Clinger in sight. Go ahead and take a look, Nevada."

Nevada was still chuckling a bit over the Rock Clingers, but he stopped when he ducked into the Crystal Cavern. The entire cave was practically made up of golden colored crystals, which were reflecting the light in various places. Now he _really_ wished Jerry was with him.

"What do you think?" Wembley asked.

"Wow," was the only thing that came out of Nevada's mouth.

"Yeah, I thought so," Gobo said. Then he began picking up some of the crystals. "Here. Better take some back with you, or your friend Jerry will never believe you."

"Good idea," Nevada said, taking the crystals from Gobo, and putting them in his backpack.

"Now let's get out of here before any Rock Clingers show up!" Wembley shouted, making a face.

Gobo agreed, and the threesome started to head back to Fraggle Rock.


	10. Nevada Leaves

When the trio got back to Fraggle Rock, they were met by Mokey and Boober, and they didn't look very happy (well, with Boober it was hard to tell, because he hardly _ever_ looked happy).

"Nevada, where have you been?" Mokey asked.

"You shouldn't be up and around like that!" Boober scolded. "Do you want your ankle to get infected and turn black and fall off?"

"Oh brother," Nevada sighed. "Give it a rest, would ya, Boober? I'm _fine_! I had to get up and walk around or else I was gonna go crazy."

"It's okay, you guys," Wembley said. "Gobo and I went with Nevada so he wouldn't hurt himself more than he already has. We took him exploring, see?"

Nevada pulled some of the crystals out of his backpack to show Boober and Mokey. Of course, Mokey was impressed, but Boober wasn't. He was still a bit angry.

"Well, you've been gone for so long, your lunch has gotten cold," he said, sounding somewhat put out.

"I think I'll survive," Nevada said, making a face at the idea of not only radish soup in general, but cold radish soup. Then he cleared his throat, and headed down one of the tunnels.

"Where are you going now?" Mokey asked.

"To see the Doozer construction site," Nevada said. "Check on the progress."

"Wait for me, Nevada!" Wembley shouted. "I'll go with you! I haven't seen it yet!"

"But what about your . . . ." Boober started.

"For crying out loud, Boober!" Gobo shouted. "You worry too much!"

Boober said nothing, and went back to his kitchen.

Meanwhile, Nevada and Wembley watched the Doozers build the tower. Or at least Nevada watched the Doozers. Wembley was staring up at the ceiling.

"Wow, that's pretty high up," he said.

"Yeah, I'm surprised I didn't break my neck comin' down!" Nevada shouted.

Wembley nodded, and turned his attention to the Doozers building. Instead of the regular construction frame they usually built, they were gluing the sticks together, like they usually did to their bridges, and creating blocks out of them.

"This method is going to take awhile," Cotterpin explained. "We just want to make sure this tower won't crash while you're climbing it, Nevada. I hope we don't run out of Doozer sticks!"

"As long as we keep Large Marvin away from here, you shouldn't," Wembley said. "At least I don't think."

"How long do you think it'll take until you're done?" Nevada asked.

"Hard to say," Cotterpin said. "We're not even halfway done."

"You don't want to leave already, do you, Nevada?" Wembley asked.

"No, I was just curious," Nevada said.

"Good," Wembley said. "Because there's lots more down here to see, and we can show you more stuff when you're ankle gets all better instead of sort of better!"

"You're the excitable type, aren't you?" Nevada asked.

"Well, yeah, I guess so," Wembley said, shrugging. "It's not every day we get Silly Creatures down here!"

"I've been meanin' to ask, why do you call us humans 'silly creatures'?"

"That's what Gobo's Uncle Matt calls you. I guess it kinda stuck."

"I see. While it may be a good name for some of us, not all of us are silly."

"Oh, I know that. I don't think you're silly, Nevada. I think you're the bravest person I've ever met! Next to Gobo, that is."

"Thanks, but the truth of the matter is, I'm not all _that_ brave."

"Sure you are! You've taken on tigers, and falling stalactites and rockslides, and earthquakes . . . ."

"Yeah, and I was scared to death every time, too! You never know what life's gonna throw you as an adventurer."

"Well, you're still the bravest Silly Creature I know."

Nevada laughed, and tousled Wembley's hair. Then the two of them went back to the Great Hall. Boober was ringing the dinner bell.

For the next few days, the Fraggles took Nevada to their favorite places while the Doozers worked on their tower. Nevada finally had something to write about in his journal. He also observed their games, and joined in on occasion. He even played some games with the Fraggles that his grandfather played with him when he was little. At one point, he was swinging Red back and forth by her hands. Unfortunately, he swung a little too hard, and lost his grip. Red went flying, and landed directly into the Fraggle Pond with a huge splash. She came out of the pond spitting water out of her mouth and sputtering.

"Uh oh . . . ." Wembley said, nervously. He figured Red was going to lose her temper after that.

"Sorry about that, Red," Nevada said, a little sheepishly. "You okay?"

"Okay?! Okay?!" Red shouted. "I'm _fantastic_! That was great! That was incredible!"

"Boy, I thought she was going to get mad," Wembley said.

"That's Red for you," Gobo said. "But that _did_ look like fun! I'm next!"

Nevada shrugged, swung Gobo around by his hands, and flung him into the pool as well.

"Wow!" he shouted, once he emerged. "You were right, Red! That _was_ incredible!"

Pretty soon, most of the Fraggles in the rock wanted to join in on the fun. Nevada couldn't believe this one, but he complied anyway.

"Yahoooo!" Red shouted, as she flew into the pond.

"Hey, watch where you're splashing!" Boober shouted. "I just finished the laundry and if it gets wet again, it might mildew!"

"Come on, Boober!" Gobo shouted. "Take a break and play Fling the Fraggle!"

"Fling the Fraggle?" Boober repeated. "I don't think so, Gobo. It sounds painful."

"No, really, Boober, it's a lot of fun!" Wembley shouted. "Watch this! My turn, Nevada!"

Nevada grabbed Wembley's hands, swung him around, and tossed him into the pool.

"Whoopee!" he shouted, as he hit the water.

"Fun?!" Boober shouted. "You call being heaved into water fun?! That's a good way to drown!"

"Not if you hold your breath before you hit the water," Mokey pointed out.

"Then you run the risk of holding your breath too long and passing out from lack of oxygen!" Boober shouted. "This game sounds far too dangerous. You could get flung too hard and bust your head open when you hit the bottom of the pond! You could get flung too early and break your neck hitting the ground! You could even get your elbows dislocated just by being swung from your arms like that!"

"You're really the life of the party, aren't ya, Boober?" Nevada asked, somewhat sarcastically.

"Come on, Boober!" Red groaned.

"No, Red, it's okay," Nevada said, giving the yellow-and-orange Fraggle a wink. Boober didn't notice. "If he doesn't want to play Fling the Fraggle, he doesn't have to play Fling the Fraggle."

"Thank you, Nevada," Boober said.

"I think we'll play Dunk the Fraggle with him instead!" Nevada shouted.

"Wait, what?!" Boober shouted. Before he could say another word, Nevada grabbed the blue Fraggle, and dunked him into the pond as if he were a doughnut in a cup of coffee. Boober screamed as he was submerged, and then came out, spitting water out of his mouth.

"Oh no!" he shouted. "Look what you've done! I've got to get out of here and dry off before I catch pneumonia! Aaaaahhhh!"

Boober than jumped out of the pond and ran to his hole as fast as he could.

"There's no way to get him to lighten up, is there?" Nevada asked.

"No," Red said. "Boober's idea of fun is washing dirty socks. Oh well. That looked like fun anyway. Dunk me next, Nevada!"

"Oh boy, this is gonna be a _long_ afternoon," Nevada said with a sigh, but he complied anyway.

By bedtime that night, Nevada was exhausted. He hadn't been this tired since he went mountain climbing in South America searching for the Bird of Paradise.

"Boy, I'm gonna sleep good tonight," he said, as he crawled into his sleeping bag.

"I hope we didn't wear you out too badly today, Nevada," Mokey said, as she, Gobo, Red, Boober, and Wembley walked over.

"Maybe a little," Nevada said. "I don't know where you guys get your energy from. I gotta tell you, I'm beat!"

"That's mostly Red's fault," Gobo said. "She doesn't know the meaning of the words settle down."

"Very funny," Red said sarcastically, giving Gobo a glare.

"Come on, you guys," Nevada said. "Knock it off. I'm too tired to referee!"

"Sorry, Nevada," Red said. "'Night!"

"Sweet dreams," Mokey said, and she and Red ran off to their cave.

"'Night, Nevada," Gobo said. "Tomorrow, we'll try to take it a little easier on you, okay?"

"Good," Boober said. "And in turn, you can take it a little easier on _me_ , too."

"Come on, Boober, it was just a joke," Nevada said.

"Some joke!" Boober shouted. "You scared me to death! Do you know what it feels like to be so close to death?!"

"Actually, yes," Nevada said. "What with fightin' tigers, dodgin' scimitar weildin' guards, and nearly gettin' impaled by fallin' icicles, I'd say so."

"Oh," Boober said. "Well . . . . well I don't like practical jokes!"

"But Boober, don't you like to scare the balloobious off everybody?" Wembley asked. Then he turned to Nevada. "He likes to hide in places and then jump out when you're least expecting it and scare you half to death!"

"Oh really?" Nevada asked, raising an eyebrow at Boober.

"Yeah . . . ." Boober said, starting to feel a little sheepish. "Well . . . umm, no hard feelings then, okay, Nevada?"

"Okay," Nevada said, and he and Boober shook on it. "And I promise, no more practical jokes."

"Okay," Boober said. "Goodnight."

Gobo, Wembley, and Nevada began laughing the minute Boober was gone.

"I don't know what we're going to do with that Fraggle," Gobo said. "Anyway, see you in the morning, Nevada!"

"'Night," Nevada said, waving to Gobo. Then he turned to Wembley. "Aren't you going with him?"

"Ummm . . . ." Wembley said, thinking it over. "You think maybe I could . . . . you know, sleep out here with you tonight?"

"How come? I thought you were over your nightmares."

"Well, yeah, I am, but . . . . but the Doozers are going to get the tower finished any day now, and that means you'll leave, and I want to spend as much time with you as I can."

Nevada stifled a laugh. Then he sighed, and moved over a little.

"Okay, come on," he said.

Wembley smiled, and crawled into Nevada's sleeping bag, making himself comfortable. Nevada tousled his hair a bit, and began singing another song his grandfather had taught him, figuring it was another song the Fraggles might have known.

 _Music grows in the rose_

 _Rock and rain and the blowin' snowstorm_

 _Everything seems to sing_

 _Everywhere I go_

 _I say one, two, play me do_

 _Let me sound as sweet as you_

 _Play me wide_

 _Play me long_

 _Let me be your song_

 _Play me down on the ground_

 _Song comes singing from the midnight places_

 _Raise me high in the sky_

 _Song comes drifting through_

 _I say one, two, play me do_

 _Let me sound as sweet as you_

 _Play me wide_

 _Play me long_

 _Let me be your song_

 _Play me high_

 _Play me low_

 _Play me where the wild winds blowing_

 _Play me wide_

 _Play me long_

 _Play me for your song_

 _I say one, two, play me do_

 _Let me sound as sweet as you_

 _Play me wide_

 _Play me long_

 _Let me be your song_

By the time Nevada was finished singing, Wembley was sound asleep. Nevada patted his shoulder, lay down himself, and closed his eyes.

"Sleep tight, good buddy," he said, before drifting off to sleep.

Two more days had passed, and finally, the Doozers were finished constructing. All of the Fraggles went to see the new tower. Instead of a standard Doozer tower, they had built what looked like a large staircase. Once Nevada saw them, he let out a low whistle.

"Kinda remind me of the Exorcist steps in Washington, DC," he commented.

"What are those?" Gobo asked.

"Do you guys know what a movie is?" Nevada asked.

"No," Gobo said.

"Then forget it," Nevada said. Gobo shrugged, and decided to let it go.

"You guys sure this will support Nevada?" Boober asked.

"Positive," Cotterpin said. "That's why we packed the construction material tightly together. Or as tightly together as we could. These steps will support at least a thousand pounds."

"Thank goodness I'm not that heavy," Nevada said, climbing on one of the steps, and stomping on it a little, testing it out. He sat down on them and turned to the Doozers.

"Thanks a lot, fellas," he said, shaking Cotterpin's hand with his index finger. "I really appreciate this."

"You're welcome, Nevada," Cotterpin said.

"Yeah, we _loved_ every minute of it!" a Doozer named Wrench shouted.

"It was the most challenging thing we've done to date!" Cotterpin's father, Flange, shouted.

"We'd like to give you something to remember us by, Mr. Nevada," the Architect said, "and to thank you for giving us one of our greatest accomplishments."

A Doozer came forward, carrying a Doozer helmet that was spray painted with shiny gold paint. Nevada laughed, and took the helmet, which fit in the palm of his hand.

"Thanks, fellas," he said, sticking it in his backpack. "I'll add it to my collection of stuff I've collected on my adventures."

"I'm sure gonna miss you, Nevada," Red said, giving Nevada a hug around the leg. "We won't be able to play Fling the Fraggle anymore. None of us here is strong enough to fling us all the way to the pond."

"Yeah, we sure had a lot of fun while you were here," Gobo said.

"I think I'm gonna miss you guys, too," Nevada said, giving both Red and Gobo a hug at the same time. "I never had so many laughs on an expedition in my entire life."

"Be sure to take care of that ankle," Boober said. "It might be all healed up, but you never know when complications are going to set in!"

"I'll have my doctor take a look at it as soon as I can," Nevada said, giving Boober a pat on the back.

"I have something for you, Nevada," Mokey said. "I've been working on it since the Doozers started building this staircase."

Mokey handed Nevada a painting she had made. It featured him surrounded by the Fraggle Five.

"Thanks, Mokey," Nevada said.

"Take care of yourself," Mokey said, giving Nevada a hug.

"You, too, Mokey," Nevada replied.

"Can I go with you, Nevada?" Wembley asked.

"Wemb _ley_!" Gobo groaned. "You can't go into Outer Space! You've always been too scared to go, remember?"

"But I don't want Nevada to leave!" Wembley shouted. "I want to stay with him! I'll miss him too much if he goes!"

"Sorry, kiddo," Nevada said. "But I _have_ to go. We've been over this before. My family and my friends are gonna worry to much if I don't get back pretty soon. And I'm startin' to miss them. Besides, if you went with me, Gobo, Red, Mokey, and Boober would miss you too much, wouldn't you, guys?"

"Oh yeah," Gobo said. "Definitely. You're my best friend, Wembley! I'd hate it if you went away forever!"

"The Rock just wouldn't be the same without you," Mokey said.

"And you'd probably miss us too much if you went with Nevada," Red said. "Wouldn't you?"

"Yeah," Wembley sighed. "I guess you're right. But can I at least go up the stairs with you, Nevada?"

"Oh, what the heck," Nevada said. "Sure."

Nevada picked up Wembley, and put him on his shoulders. Then he waved to the rest of the Fraggles, and started up the stairs. The Fraggles waved and called out their goodbyes, then went back to the Rock. Gobo, Red, Mokey, and Boober were going to stay behind to make sure Nevada made it back to Outer Space okay, and to make sure Wembley made it back down the staircase okay, too.

It was a steep climb, but Nevada was used to it. The Doozers had built a handrail. Nevada figured that would be the fastest way for Wembley to get back down to Fraggle Rock. He could just slide. Finally, Nevada made it up to where he had fallen, and started back toward the cave entrance. Once he got there, he took Wembley off his shoulders, and set him down on the ground.

"End of the line, kiddo," he said.

"Wow," Wembley said, looking at the cave entrance. "Outer Space looks so different than the other Outer Space!"

"How do you mean?" Nevada asked.

"Outer Space where Gobo gets his postcards from his Uncle Matt is kind of dull and brown and gray and stuff. Here it's green and blue, and . . . and colorful and pretty!"

"Well, there's lots of Outer Space. Gobo showed me some of his uncle's postcards, and you've seen pictures of where he's sent them, so why are you so surprised?"

"I've never seen it in person before."

Nevada nodded. He checked his backpack to make sure he had everything, including the Doozer helmet, and Mokey's painting. Then he sighed, and turned to Wembley.

"Can you make it up to the handrail on the staircase, or do you think you might need help gettin' on it?" he asked.

"I think it's a little too high for me to get on it by myself," Wembley said.

Nevada nodded, and he and Wembley walked back to the staircase. Nevada picked up the green Fraggle, and sat him on the railing, but before he let go, Wembley gave Nevada the biggest hug he could muster.

"Thanks for all the stories," he said. "And for helping me with my nightmares, and for everything."

"You're welcome," Nevada said.

"I'm really gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you guys, too."

"Will you come back and visit us again? We'll keep the staircase up so you can! You won't leave forever like your grandfather did, will you? You won't forget about us like he did, will you?"

"Well, I can't promise anythin'. You never know where an adventurer is gonna go next. Maybe Grandpa John didn't come back to Fraggle Rock because he was too busy. And I don't think he ever forgot about you. If he did, he wouldn't have kept that marble. But I'll try to come back and see you again."

"Bring your friend Jerry with you. Just in case he doesn't believe you, like you said he didn't with that tribe of mice."

"Okay. Listen, I want you to have somethin'."

Nevada reached into his pocket, pulled out his lucky marble, and gave it to Wembley.

"Gee, Nevada, thanks," Wembley said. "But I can't take this! Your grandfather gave it to you, and it's your special good luck charm!"

"I know, but I want you to have it," Nevada said. "So you don't forget about me."

"I'd never forget you, Nevada."

Wembley gave Nevada another hug, and put the marble in his pocket. Then he sat down on the railing.

"Ready?" Nevada asked.

"Yeah," Wembley said. "All set."

"Okay, then," Nevada said, and he let go of the green Fraggle. "Look out below!"

As Wembley slid down the railing, he turned his head back, and waved to Nevada. Nevada waved back, and then headed to the cave entrance. Once he reached the bottom, Gobo caught him before he could fall off and hit the ground.

"Wow, that looked like fun!" he shouted.

"Yeah, it was," Wembley said. "Sort of. It would have been a lot more fun if Nevada didn't have to go."

"I know," Gobo said, patting Wembley on the back. "Saying goodbye to a friend who has to leave is always hard."

"Look what he gave me," Wembley said, taking out Nevada's marble.

"Wow, he gave you his lucky rollie!" Gobo shouted. "That's great, Wembley!"

"Yeah, except . . . ."

"Except what?"

"Well, you know Fraggle tradition. I'm supposed to pass on neat rollies like this, but . . ."

"But you don't really want to, do you?"

"Well, maybe not right away. But I don't want to break tradition, either. But . . . but Nevada gave it to _me_! For me to keep! But I don't want to wind up like Boober did when we found the perfect blue rollie. But I don't _want_ to give it up either. But . . . ."

Gobo knew an oncoming wembling fit when he saw one, and this was one of them. The orange Fraggle grabbed Wembley by the shoulders, and shook him slightly.

"Wembley, _relax_!" he shouted. "It's _okay_! You don't have to pass Nevada's rollie on to another Fraggle right away. Why don't you hold onto it for a little while? The others will understand. Come on, let's had back to the Rock. It's almost time for lunch."

Wembley nodded, and followed Gobo back to the Rock.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song in this chapter is from the "Fraggle Rock" episode "The Minstrels." My apologies to Cantus fans for giving it to someone else to sing it._


	11. Returning

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just so you all know, I have seen the entire series of "Fraggle Rock," and I am aware that Doc *has* met the Fraggles at the very end (sorry to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the show). However, my stories are set somewhere between seasons (as if you couldn't tell, considering the Fraggles and the Gorgs became friends at the end of the series as well), even though I also reference episodes from the last season as well. Just wanted to clear that up before you continued reading on._

* * *

"Hey, everybody!" Nevada called, opening the door to Doc's workshop. "I'm back!"

Sprocket began barking loudly, and he nearly knocked Nevada over when he jumped on him, trying to lick his face.

"Easy, Sprockey-baby, easy!" Nevada shouted, laughing. "I'm glad to see you, too!"

"Nevada, what in the world happened?!" Doc shouted. "For a minute there, we thought that cave went right through the center of the earth, and you'd wind up in China!"

"Seriously, you don't usually take _that_ long when you're exploring a cave!" Jerry shouted.

"Yeah, I know," Nevada said. "But I ended up fallin' durin' that earthquake and wound up sprainin' my ankle."

"Good thing you carry a first aid kit in that backpack of yours," Jerry said, handing Nevada several pieces of paper. "Incidentally, here are your phone messages."

"Call your mother, call your mother, call your mother, call your mother . . . ." Nevada said, reading the messages one by one. All of them said the same thing. "Hmm. Guess I'd better call my mother."

"She called every single day while you were gone," Jerry said. "What happened down there, anyway?"

"I'll tell you after I check in with Mom," Nevada said. "Mind if I use your phone, Doc?"

"Help yourself," Doc said.

Nevada walked over to the phone and began dialing, while Doc and Jerry stood by, waiting to hear Nevada's story. After Nevada hung up with his mother, he walked over to his backpack, opened it, and pulled out the crystal he got from the Crystal Cavern.

"Check this out, Jer," he said, putting it on the table. "There were a _ton_ of tunnels down there. One of 'em led to this cavern full of these crystals."

"Wow," Jerry said, picking up the crystal. "I've never seen crystals like this before!"

"Neither have I," Nevada said. "And I've seen lots of rock crystals in my time!"

"Very interesting," Doc said, taking the crystal from Jerry.

"Yeah, you won't believe what else I saw down there!" Nevada shouted. "You know there's a whole different world down there!"

"Oh brother, here it comes," Jerry muttered.

"Here what comes?" Doc asked.

"Remember when he told us about the Mouzetec tribe?" Jerry asked. "The three foot Mayan-Incan-Aztec-whatever they were mice that worshipped a golden statue of Mickey Mouse?"

"Yes?" Doc said.

"I have a feeling it's going to be like that," Jerry said.

"There are three creatures down there," Nevada said, pulling the Doozer helmet out of his backpack. "Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs. When the earthquake happened, I fell into Fraggle Rock, where the Fraggles and Doozers live."

"What is this thing?" Jerry asked, taking the helmet from Nevada.

"A Doozer helmet," Nevada said. "Doozers are like construction workers that live in Fraggle Rock with the Fraggles. After I fell into Fraggle Rock, I had to get out, so the Doozers built this huge staircase, and they loved every minute of it. They love to work, you see. So they gave me this helmet to thank me for givin' them the biggest challenge they've had."

"This looks familiar," Doc said. Then he went to a drawer and pulled what looked like a Doozer helmet attached to a ring.

"Where'd you get that, Grandpa?" Jerry asked.

"A shipwreck at the bottom of the bay," Doc said. "And it got stuck on my finger."

"How'd you get it off?" Jerry asked.

"Oh, Sprocket wound up covered in some kind of gunk that helped slide it off," Doc said. "Though I never could quite figure out how."

"Well, it's identical to this helmet thing," Jerry said. "Except this thing's metal, and this feels more like high-density polyethylene."

"Ruh?" Sprocket asked, sounding confused.

"What they make hard hats out of nowadays," Jerry explained, scratching the dog behind the ears. "The unfortunate thing is I can't come up with an explanation on how something made of polyethylene could wind up deep underground."

"What's this?" Doc asked, pulling something else out of Nevada's backpack. "Looks like a painting."

"Yeah, that's me and the Fraggles," Nevada said. "Mokey painted it for me."

"Mokey?" Jerry asked.

"That's her, right here," Nevada said, pointing to the painting. Then he pointed to the other Fraggles, going counterclockwise. "And these are Gobo, Red, Wembley, and Boober."

"Uh huh," Jerry said. "Yeah, okay."

"It was actually Gobo who took me to see the Crystal Caverns," Nevada said. "He knows every nook and cranny down there."

"Gobo Fraggle?" Doc asked.

"Yeah," Nevada said. "You know him?"

"No, but I get his mail quite often," Doc said. "Oh, I get it now, this is a big joke."

"What do you mean?" Nevada asked.

"You and Jerry cooked this whole thing up, didn't you?" Doc asked. "You found out all about these postcards I keep getting for this Gobo Fraggle, and now you've made up a little story about who he is, expecting me to believe he's a little furry creature who lives in an underground cave!"

"Who, me?!" Jerry shouted. "Don't look at me, Grandpa, I'm about as clueless as you are! And _that's_ pretty clueless!"

"Watch it, Jerome," Doc said, giving his grandson a warning glare.

"No, seriously," Nevada said. "There really _are_ these little furry creatures called Fraggles that live underground in caves, and I met them."

"Mm hmm," Jerry said, rolling his eyes. "Sure, Nev, sure."

"What's the matter?" Nevada asked. "Don't you guys believe me?"

"No," both Doc and Jerry said at the same time.

"Roof, roof!" Sprocket barked, pointing to himself, and nodding. Nobody paid any attention to him.

"Did you happen to hit your head on the way down in that cave, Nev?" Jerry asked.

"Yeah, but what does _that_ have to do with anythin'?" Nevada asked.

"Thought so," Jerry said. "You hit your head, dreamed the whole thing, and hired someone to paint that picture and mold this helmet thing out of plastic so you'd have some proof because you knew I wouldn't believe you about this story."

"Jerry, come on!" Nevada shouted. "How do you explain the crystal then?"

"That, I _do_ believe you about," Jerry said. "But I _don't_ believe this Fraggle thing helped you find it. Sorry, Nev."

"But Jerry . . . ." Nevada started.

"All right, boys, all right," Doc said. "Enough is enough. You've had a long, hard trip, Nevada, and I think a little rest will do you good. Come on, let's get back to the house, and you can take a nice, long nap."

Nevada sighed, and gave in. He wasn't all that surprised that Jerry didn't believe him about the Fraggles, even though he had proof. He was an incurable skeptic, and had to see it to believe it.

"I wonder if this is why Grandpa John never told me about where he specifically learned those songs?" he said to himself.

The next morning, down in Fraggle Rock, Gobo was looking for Wembley. He hadn't seen him since dinner the day before.

"Hey, has anyone seen Wembley?" he asked. "I thought we'd go up to get the postcard from Uncle Traveling Matt."

"Try the top of the Doozer staircase," Red said. "He's been hanging out up there a lot since Nevada left."

"Thanks!" Gobo shouted. He ran down the tunnel to where the staircase was, and began climbing. Sure enough, there was Wembley at the entrance of the cave, staring out into Outer Space.

"There you are," Gobo said. "What are you doing here, Wembley?"

"I dunno," Wembley said, shrugging.

"I think I do," Gobo said. "You're waiting for Nevada to come back, aren't you?"

"Well . . . . yeah. I guess so."

"Come on, Wembley. I know you miss him, but sitting here waiting for him isn't going to make him come back!"

"But he might! And when he comes back, I want to be here waiting for him!"

"Wem _bley_! You don't expect him to come back right away, do you?"

"Yes! Well . . . . no . . . . well, maybe, uhhh . . . ."

"Oh brother. Come on, let's go get my Uncle Matt's postcard, eh?"

"You go ahead, Gobo, I want to stay here."

"He's not going to come back just because you want him to! He's got other things to do first, you know!"

Wembley didn't answer. Gobo sighed, and left him where he was. Then he climbed up to the railing of the staircase, and slid down, landing on the ground, since there wasn't anyone there to catch him.

 _THUD!_

"Ooof!" he grunted. "Hmm. I was right. That _was_ fun! Except for the landing. We'll have to find a way to fix that."

Later, Mokey went up the stairs to see if she could talk Wembley into coming back down to the Rock.

"Wembley, it's almost time for lunch," she said. "Boober's making your favorite. Peach and pepper pottage."

"No thanks, Mokey," Wembley said. "I'm not hungry."

"Oh come on, now, I don't believe that! You barely touched your dinner last night, and you didn't eat a thing at breakfast this morning!"

"I want to be here when Nevada comes back. I want to be the first Fraggle he sees!"

"Really, Wembley, it's only been one day since Nevada left. He's not going to come back right away! Now come on back down to the Rock and have some lunch, okay? Boober's made some turnip toast to go with it."

Wembley shook his head. He wasn't going to move for anything, not even his favorite meal. Mokey sighed, went back to the staircase, and slid down. Her landing wasn't as hard as Gobo's, since she used her sweater as a parachute.

"Is he coming?" Gobo asked.

"No," Mokey sighed. "He said he wasn't hungry. Usually when Boober makes peach and pepper pottage, he comes running."

"We've got to get him down somehow," Gobo said.

Later, Boober tried his luck in getting Wembley to come down, though he wasn't too thrilled with climbing the staircase. Once he reached the cave entrance, he was huffing and puffing, ready to collapse. Of course, he was also carrying a bowl of his soup as well.

"Boy, climbing that thing is like climbing a mountain," he said. "Here, Wembley, I brought you some lunch."

"Thanks," Wembley said, but he didn't turn around.

"Aren't you tired of sitting here all day?"

"I'm not moving until Nevada comes back."

"Come on, Wembley, be realistic! He's not going to come back right away! He might not even come back at all! Did he promise he would?"

"Well . . . . no . . . . but he said he'd try!"

"Come on, Wembley, sitting here all day isn't going to do any good, and it certainly won't make Nevada come back any faster, especially if you don't eat. All it's going to do is make you get sick! You'll catch the Fraggle Flu if you sit out here all day and all night! Now come on back, okay?"

"No, Boober! I want to stay here! I'm not going to move until Nevada comes back!"

"Okay, but don't blame me if you catch your death of cold up here for nothing! The least you could do is eat the soup I brought you so you don't starve to death!"

Wembley didn't answer. Boober sighed, and went back down the stairs. It took longer for him to reach the bottom, because he didn't go sliding down the railing.

"Well?" Gobo asked.

"No soap," Boober sighed. "He's not moving for anything."

"Okay, I've had it!" Red shouted. "I'll get him to come back down here!"

"How are you going to do that, Red?" Mokey asked.

"I'll drag him back down here!" Red shouted. "Even if I have to do it by his tail!"

"That sounds a bit drastic, don't you think?" Mokey asked.

"I don't think we have a choice," Gobo said. "Wembley's going to make himself sick if he doesn't stop sitting up there refusing to eat!"

"Then let's go!" Red shouted. "Charge!"

Both Red and Gobo ran up the staircase. Before they went to the cave entrance, Gobo stopped, and motioned Red to come forward. He whispered something in her ear.

"You sure?" she asked. "That sounds kinda mean to me."

"And forcibly dragging him back to the Rock by his tail isn't?" Gobo asked, pointedly.

"Okay, okay," Red sighed. "Let's go."

"Right, but let's try to talk him into coming back first, eh?" Gobo said. Red nodded.

The two Fraggles walked over to Wembley, who still hadn't moved. They noticed he hadn't even touched the soup Boober left.

"Wembley," Red said, "we think this has gone on long enough! You're coming back to the Rock with us right now!"

"No!" Wembley shouted. "I told you already, I'm not moving from this spot until Nevada comes back!"

"Wembley, you haven't eaten anything since lunch yesterday," Red went on. "You're gonna get sick if you keep this up!"

"I'm not hungry," Wembley said.

"Come on, Wembley!" Gobo shouted. "You _can't_ keep this up!"

"I'll keep it up as long as I have to!" Wembley shouted. "I'm not coming back in until Nevada comes back to the Rock!"

"We didn't want to do this, Wembley," Gobo said, "but you leave us no choice."

Gobo and Red rolled up their sleeves, and grabbed Wembley by the arms, lifting him off the ground, and carrying him back to the staircase.

"Hey, come on, you guys!" Wembley protested. "Let me go!"

"No chance, Wembley," Red said. "This is for your own good!"

Wembley began squirming, trying to break out of his friends' grips, but Gobo and Red wouldn't budge. They had a feeling they'd wind up having to drag Wembley back to Fraggle Rock kicking and screaming, they just didn't think they'd wind up doing it literally!

"We know you miss Nevada a lot, Wembley," Gobo said, trying to reason with the green Fraggle. "I miss him, too, but going on a hunger strike and waiting around for him to come back isn't going to do any good!"

"But Gobo!" Wembley shouted. "Gobo, I want to be there when he comes back! I want to see him coming! I want to be the first Fraggle he sees when he comes back to visit us! Please let me go back up there, please!"

"Knock it off, Wembley!" Red shouted. "It's not going to work!"

Once the three Fraggles made it to the bottom of the staircase, Red and Gobo let go of Wembley. But the minute they did, Wembley tried to race up the stairs again. Red grabbed his tail and pulled him down.

"Oh no you don't!" she shouted.

"That does it, Wembley!" Gobo shouted. "I've had it with you acting like this! If you go up those stairs and sit at that cave entrance one more time, just _one_ more time, then we're going to tear the staircase down! That way, Nevada won't even be able to come and visit us without breaking his neck! Do you understand?!"

"Y-y-yes, Gobo," Wembley said. He had never heard Gobo yell at him like that before.

"Good!" Red shouted. "Now, you're coming with us, and you're going to eat something, even if I have to force it down your throat!"

"Ok-k-kay, Red," Wembley said, shaking a little.

"Come on, Wembley," Boober said, taking Wembley's hand, and leading him away. Red followed.

"Just remember what I said about those stairs, Wembley!" Gobo shouted. "You even _think_ about going up there, they're coming down!"

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh, Gobo?" Mokey asked.

"No," Gobo said. "I don't think so at all. I'm tired of Wembley moping around like this, and if this is the only way to get him to stop, then so be it!"

With that, Gobo stomped off. Mokey sighed. She wasn't sure if this was a good idea at all.


	12. The Fight

It hadn't been easy getting Wembley to eat something after he was forced back to Fraggle Rock. Boober made him a new batch of peach and pepper pottage, and he just picked at it.

"Come on, Wembley," Boober said, trying his best to sound coaxing. "I made it just for you. I know how much you love peach and pepper pottage. Just one little bite, okay? Just for me? Your old pal, Boober? Please?"

Wembley sighed. He knew how hard Boober worked in the kitchen cooking up the meals the Fraggles ate, and he knew how much it meant to him to see the Fraggles enjoy his cooking. So Wembley picked up his spoon, and forced himself to eat some of the soup, just to humor Boober. That, and Red was hovering behind him, and he didn't necessarily want her to force the soup down down his throat.

"Awww, atta fella!" Red shouted, once Wembley swallowed. "See, now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No," Wembley said, with a sigh.

"Now, eat all your soup, like a good little Fraggle," Red said. "Then I won't have to shove it down your throat, now, will I?"

"Right," Wembley said.

"Never mind, Wembley," Mokey said, glaring at the pigtailed Fraggle. "Just eat as much as you can."

"We're only doing this because we don't want you to get sick, Wembley," Boober explained.

Wembley nodded, and forced down a few more spoonfuls, but that was about all.

"I'm done," he said.

"You sure?" Boober asked.

"Yeah," Wembley said, nodding. "I'm sure."

"Okay," Boober said. "Actually, I'm kind of glad you didn't fill up on this, Wembley. I'm making roast radish for dinner, and I'm going to make a salad out of the radish greens with radish dressing!"

"Oooh, that sounds yummy!" Red shouted. "Doesn't that sound yummy, Wembley?"

"I guess," Wembley said, shrugging, and then he walked off.

"Well," Boober said, as he dumped Wembley's leftovers into a pipe he used for garbage disposal, "at least we got him to eat _some_ thing."

Later, Wembley was sitting on the floor of the cave he shared with Gobo, rolling Nevada's marble back and forth. Mokey knocked on the door, and walked in.

"Wembley, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, Mokey, I'm fine," Wembley sighed, not bothering to look up.

"Are you sure? Gobo and Red _were_ pretty rough on you."

"Maybe they were right. Sitting up there all day waiting for Nevada isn't gonna make him come back. I'm just afraid he _won't_ come back, like his grandfather. He'll forget all about us."

"I'm sure that's not true, Wembley."

"But what if it is?"

"Oh, Wembley, I'm sure Nevada will come back to visit us again someday. But you have to be patient."

Wembley nodded, sighed, and continued rolling the marble back and forth. Gobo walked in just then.

"Hi, Mokey," he said. "Listen, Wembley, can I talk to you?"

"Okay," Wembley said, not looking up.

"I'll just leave you two alone," Mokey said. "Bye, Wembley. And stop worrying about Nevada!"

With that, Mokey left. Wembley barely noticed. Once she was gone, however, he stopped rolling the marble, and looked at Gobo.

"You're not going to yell at me again, are you?" he asked.

"I'm going to try not to," Gobo said. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier, and for threatening to tear down the stairs, but I was just frustrated. It's just that we're all worried about you, Wembley. We know how much you miss Nevada, but moping around and starving yourself won't bring him back."

"I know, I know," Wembley sighed, and he began rolling the marble again.

"And playing with that rollie all day won't make him come back, either."

"You're not gonna take _this_ away from me, are you? Because if you are, I won't let you!"

"Okay, Wembley okay! Calm down! I wasn't gonna touch your stupid old rollie, anyway! Sheesh!"

Wembley heaved a sigh, and put the marble in his pocket.

"I'm sorry, Gobo," he said. "I guess I haven't been myself today, huh?"

" _That's_ an understatement!" Gobo shouted, picking up his gourd guitar and tuning it. Then he heaved a sigh.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean that."

Wembley nodded, took out Nevada's marble, and began rolling it back and forth again.

"What do you think Nevada's doing?" he asked.

"Probably telling his friends about the great fun he had with us," Gobo said. "And the great friends he met, too. After all, nobody can have more fun than a Fraggle!"

"Yeah."

"Come on, Wembley, you've got to snap out of it already! I haven't seen you like this since Mudwell died. It's not like Nevada's never coming back, you know!"

"Yeah, I know."

Wembley continued to roll the marble back and forth. Then he suddenly got an idea.

"Gobo!" he shouted. "I just had a _great_ idea! Or kind of great, anyway."

"What is it?" Gobo asked.

"If Nevada won't come to us, maybe we can come to Nevada!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Maybe we can go into Outer Space and look for him!"

Gobo stared at Wembley for a moment in silence. Then he chuckled, and that built up to a laugh, and then he found he just couldn't stop laughing.

"What's so funny?" Wembley asked.

"Going out into Outer Space just to look for one Silly Creature?" Gobo asked, between laughs. "You've gotta be crazy, Wembley!"

"Well, why don't we?" Wembley asked. "Come on, Gobo, it's a great idea!"

"It's a _stupid_ idea! Outer Space is so big, we don't know where Nevada is now, and I wouldn't know where to start looking."

"We have to start somewhere, right?"

"No, Wembley. We can't."

Wembley sighed, and went back to playing with Nevada's marble.

At dinner that evening, Wembley seemed to have his appetite back, much to the relief of Boober, Mokey, and Red.

"Looks like someone's making up for lost meals," Mokey said.

"Yeah, I'm _really_ hungry," Wembley said.

"I'm glad to see that," Boober said. "Now we won't have to worry about you starving to death or being malnourished."

"He had a _real_ crazy idea earlier," Gobo said. "He wanted us to go into Outer Space to look for Nevada ourselves!"

"What?!" Boober shouted. "Us go into _Outer Space_?! Wembley, whatever possessed you to come up with an idea like _that_?! Are you sick or something?"

"No, Boober, I'm fine," Wembley said, as Boober put his hand against the green Fraggle's forehead, checking for a fever.

"That's a ridiculous idea, anyway, Wembley," Red said. "Outer Space is _way_ too dangerous!"

"I don't think it's so ridiculous," Wembley said. "After all, Gobo goes there all the time, and nothing's happened to him yet."

" _Yet_ being the operative word, Wembley," Boober said.

"But . . . . but you guys . . . ." Wembley started.

"Now, now, Wembley," Mokey said, "you've had a very, very long day. Maybe you should go to bed early. A good night's sleep might be just the thing you need."

"Good idea," Gobo said. "And by tomorrow morning, you'll have forgotten this dumb idea of going into Outer Space."

Wembley tried to protest, but he thought better of it, just in case Gobo began threatening to tear down the Doozer staircase again. After dinner, Mokey insisted Wembley go to bed, and asked Gobo to make sure he did.

"I don't understand it," Wembley grumbled, as he climbed up the ladder to his bed. "Why does everybody think it's a dumb idea to go into Outer Space to find Nevada?"

"Because it just _is_ , Wembley," Gobo said. "You've seen me get Uncle Traveling Matt's postcards plenty of times. You know there's a hairy beast out there!"

"But you said the hairy beast wasn't all _that_ bad. In fact, you said he was kinda nice after you got to know him a little."

"That's not the point, Wembley! Look, You can't go into Outer Space, and I'm not going out there, either, and that's that!"

"Well, if you won't help me, Gobo, then I'll just go by myself!"

Gobo stared at Wembley for several moments. Then he began laughing hysterically all over again.

"I don't think that's so funny!" Wembley shouted.

"I'm sorry, Wembley," Gobo said, wiping one of his eyes. He had laughed so hard, his eyes began to water. "Just the idea of _you_ in Outer Space alone! You've _got_ to be kidding!"

"I'm not kidding! You just watch me! I'll go into Outer Space and find Nevada!"

"Come on, Wembley! You don't have any experience in Outer Space! If you're too scared to go into Outer Space to get my uncle's postcards, what makes you think you're brave enough to tackle the rest of it?"

"Well, you're not so brave yourself, you know! If you really _were_ brave, then you'd go further into Outer Space than you normally would! _You're_ the one who's too scared to go into Outer Space, not me!"

Gobo immediately stopped laughing, and glared at Wembley.

"I'm a lot braver than you are!" he shouted. "You've never even _been_ to Outer Space!"

"Then why don't you go further into Outer Space?" Wembley asked. "Or are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid of Outer Space! _You're_ the one who's afraid of Outer Space! Admit it, Wembley! You wouldn't last one day out there!"

"I bet I could if I tried!"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't even try! You'd set one foot in Outer Space, and turn right back around and head for home! And you know why, Wembley? It's because you're a wimp! You're just a little green wimp, that's why!"

"I'm not a wimp! At least I'm willing to go out there! _You're_ the one that's a wimp, Gobo!"

Gobo glared at Wembley harder. He did not appreciate being called a wimp, and Wembley was starting to push him over the edge.

"Okay!" he shouted. "Fine! Go ahead and go out into Outer Space! Just don't come crying to me if you get yourself into trouble! Matter of fact, I don't care if you _do_ get yourself into trouble! I don't care if anything happens to you out there in Outer Space! I don't even know why we're friends in the first place! Go on into Outer Space and get yourself killed! See if I care, you little wimp! You big baby! Just see if I care! Because I don't! I don't care what happens to you! _I don't care_!"

With that, Gobo stormed out of the cave, slamming the door behind him. Wembley stared after him for awhile, and tried to fight back the tears that were beginning to well up in his eyes, but he was unsuccessful.

"Fine with me!" he shouted. "That's just fine with me! I'll show him! I'll go out into Outer Space, and find Nevada all by myself if I have to! I'll show him who's a little wimp!"

Wembley couldn't stand it any longer, and he let out a sob. He buried his face in his pillow so nobody would hear him. He didn't want anyone to hear, and definitely not see, him crying, especially not Gobo. Finally, he wound up crying himself to sleep.


	13. The Silly Creature Playground

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: All of the kids that appear in this chapter are what I call my "regular" kid characters, which are characters I generally use if I need some kids for the story. Actually, the character Tina Cooke from my other fanfic, "The White Monster," falls into this category._

* * *

Early the next morning, Wembley packed up some supplies in his backpack, as quietly as possible. He didn't want to wake up Gobo, not because he didn't want to disturb his sleep, but because he was still mad at him.

"I'll show him," he grumbled, as he slung his backpack over his shoulders. "I'll go out into Outer Space and find Nevada all by myself. I don't need Gobo. He's never even been beyond Outer Space anyway."

It was so early, nobody was awake yet, not even the Doozers. Quietly, Wembley went to the kitchen area of the Rock in order to pack some food. He didn't know what there was to eat out there in Outer Space, after all, and he didn't know where to find it, either. Besides, he remembered that Nevada had his own food in his backpack, just in case.

Once in the kitchen, Wembley began making a few radish sandwiches to take with him. He didn't want to take a whole radish, because that was going to be too big. He also packed some radish chips, a couple of radish bars, some parsnip cookies, and some Doozer sticks to snack on. He also filled his canteen with sweetwater. Once he had everything, he went to the Doozer staircase, and walked up them.

"This is it," he said, as he climbed. "I'm about to go on the adventure of a lifetime. All by myself."

Suddenly, Wembley stopped in the middle of the staircase.

"All by myself," he repeated, sounding a little uncertain. "Ummm . . . . maybe this isn't such a good idea after all . . . ."

Wembley started to go back down the stairs, but stopped after two steps.

"But if I go back now, it'll only prove that I'm a wimp," he said, and he turned around and started back up. He made it a little further up, but stopped again.

"Then again . . . ." he said. "Maybe being a wimp isn't _that_ bad. It's safer to be a wimp, since you never know what's out there in Outer Space anyway."

Wembley took a couple of steps down, and stopped again.

"But do I really want to be a wimp all my life?" he asked. "And if I don't go, I'll never get to see Nevada. Why can't I ever make up my mind?"

Wembley sat down on the steps for the moment, trying to think. Finally, he stood up, and began climbing the stairs again. He was going to prove to Gobo that he could go into Outer Space by himself, and find Nevada. He was going to show all the Fraggles that he wasn't just a little green wimp. Once he got to the top of the stairs, he went directly to the cave entrance. He stopped for a moment, wondering if he _really_ wanted to do this once more. He was just about to turn around and head back down the stairs again, when he remembered about his fight with Gobo. Everything Gobo said came back to him.

 _You'd set one foot in Outer Space, and turn right back around and head for home! And you know why, Wembley? It's because you're a wimp! You're just a little green wimp, that's why!_

"I am _not_ a wimp!" Wembley shouted, finally, and looked out of the cave.

The sun was out, shining it's light on the park where the cave was located, making everything look bright and inviting. He began to feel better about his decision to find Nevada, and walked out of the cave.

There were lots of trails to wander, with several trees along the sides of the paths. There were also bridges overlooking small creeks. He saw a lot of tree creatures around, and several Silly Creatures. Some of the Silly Creatures were out with animals that looked like variations of the Hairy Beast in the other Outer Space, so Wembley avoided them. He also saw a group of Silly Creatures bouncing an orange ball on a hard, gray surface, throwing it up in the air to try to get it into a basket with a hole in the bottom of it.

"I don't see why they keep throwing that thing if it's only gonna come back down," he said. "Maybe that's their idea of fun. Silly Creatures are weird."

Wembley continued walking along, observing. He found another group of Silly Creatures smacking a small yellow ball back and forth with rackets, and they were divided by a net.

"I guess the object of this game is to keep the ball in the air," he said. "Red might like that one."

Wembley continued exploring, until he came across a large gathering of small Silly Creatures. He remembered Gobo's Uncle Traveling Matt sometimes referred to them as the "Fraggle-Sized Silly Creatures." These Silly Creatures were climbing on what appeared to be large Doozer constructions, swinging, and sliding. The green Fraggle had stumbled upon the park's playground. He was amazed at all of the equipment. It looked like a blast. But he was feeling a little indecisive about going to try it out. He wasn't sure if he should. He didn't know if these Silly Creatures were going to be nice, like Nevada was. As he stood there, deciding on what to do, he was broken out of his thoughts.

"Hey, what's that over there?" a voice asked.

"I don't know," another said.

"Awww, isn't it cute?" another asked.

"Come on, let's go see what it is!" a fourth shouted.

The four Silly Creatures (two boys and two girls) ran over toward the green Fraggle. Wembley tried to run and hide, but he wound up tripping over his own feet, and crashed face first into the ground.

"Hey, are you okay?" one of the boys asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Wembley said, as he sat up.

"What are you?" one of the girls asked.

"I'm a Fraggle," Wembley said. "My name is Wembley."

"What's a Fraggle?" the second girl asked.

"I'm a Fraggle," Wembley said. "I just said that."

"I know _that_ , silly!" the girl shouted. "But what _is_ a Fraggle? And where do you come from?"

"I come from Fraggle Rock," Wembley explained. "And there are lots of other Fraggles. We like to sing and dance and play, and have fun. And what you're doing over there looks like a lot of fun."

"Come on!" the first girl shouted, grabbing Wembley's hand. "You can come play with us if you want to have fun!"

"Hey guys, look at what we found!" the second boy shouted, as he and his friends ran back to the playground equipment.

All the kids stopped what they were doing, and swarmed around Wembley, to get a good look at him. After everyone introduced themselves, they began to show Wembley around the playground. Each of the kids were allowed to have a turn playing with Wembley, as they all wanted to, so they decided to go alphabetically by last name.

A girl named Ellen Armbruster took Wembley to her favorite part of the playground: the swings. She put him on one, then sat down on the swing next to it, and began pumping her legs to get going. Unfortunately, Wembley couldn't do the same thing, as the swing was too big for him. His arms were too short to hold onto the chains, and the only way he could pump his legs would be if he were sitting on the very edge of the swing.

"I don't think I can do this," he said.

"Hmmm . . . ." Ellen said, thoughtfully, as she stopped swinging for a minute.

"I have an idea," a girl named Bonnie Baxter said. She picked up Wembley, put him in one of the swing set's baby seats, and pushed him.

"Great idea, Bonnie!" Ellen shouted. "You know why I love the swings, Wembley?"

"Why?" Wembley asked.

"Because it's like you're flying!" Ellen shouted, as she pumped her legs harder, causing her to swing higher.

"Do you want me to push you harder, Wembley?" Bonnie asked.

"Uhhh . . . ." Wembley said, watching Ellen swing back and forth, higher and higher. He was almost certain she would go so high, she'd flip right over the bar.

"No, I'm okay," he said, finally.

Once Ellen and Bonnie had their turn with Wembley on the swings, a girl named Melissa Campbell took Wembley to the seesaw. She sat Wembley down on one end, and was about to climb on herself, when a boy named Ronnie Demuth ran over.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" he shouted. "You can't play with Wembley on the seesaw, Melissa!"

"Why not?" Melissa asked. "Bonnie got to push him on the swings!"

"I know, but you weigh more than Wembley does. He'll never get you off the ground, and if he's on the bottom end off the seesaw when you get on . . . . _fwing!_ "

Ronnie swung his arm up, illustrating the fact that Wembley would go flying clear across the playground, because of the difference in weight.

"Oh, I didn't think about that," Melissa said. "Got any ideas?"

"Yeah," Ronnie said. He picked up Wembley, sat down on the other end of the seesaw, and held Wembley in front of him.

"Hey, no fair!" Melissa shouted. "It's my turn!"

"Okay, okay," Ronnie said, rolling his eyes. "You can hold him for ten turns, and then I'll hold him for ten turns, okay?"

"Okay," Melissa said. She got off the seesaw, took Wembley from Ronnie, sat back down on her end, and off they went.

Once Melissa and Ronnie were finished on the seesaws, it was Colin Cavanaugh's turn. He liked the slide the best, and a group of the other kids lined up at it (alphabetically, of course, so everyone could have a chance holding Wembley while sliding down. Of course, Wembley also went down solo a few times, but he enjoyed it with the kids, too.

After the slides, it was onto the merry-go-round with Tim Jenkins, and another group of kids. His best friend, Eric Von Templeton, started the merry-go-round by grabbing one of the poles, and running along side it. Several other kids did the same until it was spinning like crazy. Wembley nearly imbedded his fingers in the poles so he wouldn't fly off. By the time the merry-go-round stopped, Wembley was so dizzy, he couldn't even walk in a straight line.

"Wow!" he shouted. "I know Red would love that one for sure!"

"It's even more fun when kids go flying from it," Tim said.

"Oh yeah," Wembley said. "Red would _def_ initely love that!"

"My turn!" a boy named Bobby Powers shouted. He picked up the green fraggle, and ran to another part of the playground.

Bobby had taken Wembley to the monkey bars, but these proved to be a little challenging for the green Fraggle. The bars were spaced too far apart for him, so he wound up hanging from the first one, until a girl named Julie Olsen "rescued" him.

"Hey!" Bobby shouted. "You had your turn with Wembley already on the slide!"

"Well, you just can't leave him hanging here!" Julie shouted.

"Why don't you let him ride piggyback, Bobby?" a girl named Dinah Dixon, suggested.

Bobby agreed, and Wembley jumped onto his back, and held on while Bobby crossed the monkey bars, and some of the other kids did the same. Last, but not least, was Billy Wilson, and his game of choice was climbing the jungle gym. The first thing Wembley did was try to yank a piece off of it, but he couldn't.

"Boy, this thing's tough!" he shouted.

"What are you _do_ ing?" Billy asked.

"Trying to get a piece of this yummy looking Doozer construction," Wembley explained. "This thing is _huge_! It could feed Fraggle Rock for weeks!"

Some of the kids burst out laughing. Wembley was a little confused.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You don't _eat_ a jungle gym, silly!" a girl named Angela Hirtz shouted. "You climb it!"

"Besides," Ellen said, "if you tried to eat it, you'd only bust up your teeth!"

"Yeah," Ronnie said. "It's made of metal."

"Really?" Wembley asked. He sniffed at part of the jungle gym, and made a face. "I guess you're right. It looks good, but it smells terrible!"

All the kids laughed at that. They weren't really laughing at Wembley's expense, they just thought what he said was funny. For the rest of the afternoon, the kids took turns with Wembley on the playground equipment, and Wembley was loving every minute of it. He had a lot of fun when Nevada visited Fraggle Rock, sure, but he thought playing with the smaller Silly Creatures was a lot more fun.

While Wembley was having the time of his life, Gobo was running around Fraggle Rock, looking nervous.

"Has anyone seen Wembley?" he asked.

"Not since yesterday," Mokey said. "Why? What's the matter?"

"He's been gone all day," Gobo explained. "I wanted to apologize to him for the fight we had last night. I said a lot of things I didn't mean, and now I feel awful about it."

"Well, I sure haven't seen him," Red said, shrugging.

"Do you think maybe he ran away from home?" Boober asked.

"Oh no, of course not!" Mokey shouted. "Wembley wouldn't be upset enough to do _that_! Would he?"

Gobo, Red, Boober, and Mokey looked at each other in silence. Then, they immediately split up to search the tunnels.

"I'll check the north tunnels," Gobo said.

"I'll check the south tunnels," Red said.

"I'll check the east tunnels," Mokey said.

"I'll get someone to check the west tunnels," Boober said. "And then I'll stay here in case Wembley shows up while you're searching the tunnels."

"Wait a minute," Red said, snapping her fingers. "There are so many tunnels around Fraggle Rock, we might end up taking days to search all of them!"

"You're right, Red," Mokey said. "We'll never find Wembley at that rate."

"So what should we do?" Boober asked.

Red ran to the Fraggle Horn and blew into it a couple of times. Every Fraggle soon gathered in the Great Hall, to see what Red had blown it for.

"Hey, has anybody seen Wembley today?" she asked.

"You blew the horn to ask us _that_?!" Marlon Fraggle asked.

"What's going on, Red?" Lou Fraggle asked.

"We can't find Wembley," Gobo said. "I've looked everywhere in the Rock he might be, but he just isn't _any_ where!"

"There are too many tunnels for the four of us to look by ourselves," Red said. "We need every Fraggle's help!"

"You got it, Red!" Lou shouted.

"Yeah, I'll help, too!" Tosh Fraggle shouted.

"Count me in!" Large Marvin shouted.

"Me too, Red!" Feenie shouted.

More Fraggles voiced in agreement, and volunteered. Red took charge then, and split the Fraggles into groups, and told them where to go. Gobo was grateful Red took charge of the situation. He could barely think straight since he was feeling so guilty.

"Don't worry, Gobo," Mokey said, as she was leading her group down the tunnel that led to the Gorgs' garden. "I'm sure Wembley's all right."

"I sure hope so, Mokey," Gobo said, nervously. "If anything happens to Wembley, I'll never forgive myself!"


	14. The Search is On

After a lot of fun, Wembley had to leave to search for Nevada. He asked the kids if they knew him before he left.

"Not personally," Ellen said. "But I've heard of him."

"Great!" Wembley shouted. "Do you know where he is?"

"No," Ellen said. "He doesn't live here in town. I mean, I read in the newspaper that he _was_ in town, but I don't know if he still is. Sorry."

"That's okay, Ellen," Wembley said. "Thanks, anyway."

"Bye, Wembley!" Julie shouted.

"Good luck!" Colin shouted.

"Come see us again sometime!" Dinah called.

"Bye, everybody!" Wembley called, waving to the kids. "And thanks for everything!"

The kids waved to Wembley, and called out their goodbyes. Wembley was going to miss them, but he had a mission. He walked out of the park, and began looking around. Most of the ground was rock hard, and there were lots of Silly Creatures walking around.

"Excuse me," Wembley said, trying to get someone's attention. "Do you think maybe you could tell me . . . ."

The Silly Creatures walked on, completely ignoring the green Fraggle. No matter who he tried to talk to, nobody would listen to him.

"Guess I'm on my own, then," he sighed, and continued on his way.

The big city was nothing like Fraggle Rock, Wembley noticed. There were lots of tall buildings around the place, and tons of Silly Creatures walking around. Some Silly Creatures were also inside other creatures, which rolled on wheels, but they were pretty noisy. They made strange honking noises every now and again. It was incredibly noisy.

"Boy, it sure is hard to think in this part of Outer Space!" Wembley shouted, holding his ears.

The little green Fraggle continued on his way, when a Silly Creature came rolling by, standing on a board with wheels, running over Wembley's tail in the process.

"Ouch!" Wembley shouted. "Hey, watch it, will ya?!"

The Silly Creature paid no attention. Wembley wondered if they could even see him. He wandered up to a Silly Creature standing on the corner, and tapped him on the leg. The Silly Creature looked down.

"Excuse me, mister," Wembley said. "Do you know where I can find Nevada Nesmith?"

"Get lost, shorty," the Silly Creature said.

Wembley sighed, and continued walking along. He figured it would be pretty easy to get lost around here. As a matter of fact, he didn't _need_ to get lost. He already _was_ lost.

"I wish I had a map," he said. "I feel like I'm going around in circles! I'll never find Nevada at this rate."

Wembley heaved a sigh, and sat down at the curb. Not one person that passed by asked him what was wrong, or offered him any help. They were all too absorbed in their own lives, or talking to themselves into this strange little handheld device they kept at their ears.

"Maybe I should just give up and go home," he said. He stood up, and began walking, but then he stopped. "No! I can't give up! And I'm not gonna give up! Gobo's uncle wouldn't give up, and neither would Gobo! I'm not gonna stop until I find Nevada!"

And with that, Wembley began walking once more, and he began singing to pick up his spirits.

 _I found out a long time ago_

 _You gotta learn to say "yes" when life says "no"_

 _Don't dwell on the bad times once they're past_

 _That kind of thinking gets you nowhere fast_

 _'Cause there ain't no mountain you can't climb_

 _If you hang on tight and just make up your mind_

 _Once you set your heart to movin' on_

 _Then there ain't no road too long_

 _Don't look back; don't you turn around!_

 _Just keep your eye on where you're bound!_

 _And you're bound to get from here to there_

 _'Cause a dream can take you anywhere!_

 _'Cause there ain't no mountain you can't climb_

 _If you hang on tight and just make up your mind_

 _And once you set your heart to moving on_

 _Then there is no road too long!_

 _'Cause there ain't no mountain you can't climb_

 _If you hang on tight and just make up your mind!_

 _And once you set your heart to movin' on_

 _Yeah, there ain't no road too long_

 _Ain't no mountain you can't climb!_

 _If you hang on tight and just make up your mind!_

 _Once you set your heart to movin' on!_

 _There ain't no road too long!_

 _There ain't no road too long!_

As Wembley was singing, he had attracted a crowd of Silly Creatures. They began applauding after he was finished singing. Wembley took a couple of bows, and then continued on his way, completely unaware that he was in for some trouble. One of the Silly Creatures he had attracted was a man named Max Schill. After he saw this cute, little fuzzy animal singing and dancing, he ran into the first phone booth he could find (yes, payphones still exist). He put some money into it and dialed a number.

"Hey, Shifty, you ain't gonna believe what I just saw on third street just now!" he shouted.

"What?" Max's boss, known as Shifty Gambell, asked, sounding bored to death.

"This little animal of some kind," Max went on. "I don't know what the heck it was, but this little fuzzball was singing and dancing, and he attracted a huge group of people!"

"Huh," Shifty said, starting to get interested. "Attracting a lot of people for nothing, huh? Where'd you say you where, third street?"

"Yeah, on the corner of third and fourth."

"Stay there. I'll meet you there and we can track down this critter. A find like that might be worth a fortune!"

"Sure boss."

Shifty hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket, and raced out the door.

Back in Fraggle Rock, Gobo was getting more and more worried by the minute. Several Fraggles had come to check in, all with the same news.

"He's not at Roaring Ravine," Tosh said.

"Or the Crystal Cavern," Lou replied.

"He's nowhere near the Gorgs' garden," Mokey said. "Or the Gorgs' castle, either."

"He's not _in_ the Gorgs' castle either," Rumple Fraggle said. Gobo noticed he was covered in bandages.

"You didn't really look in the Gorgs' castle, did you?!" Gobo shouted.

"Yeah," Rumple admitted. "Red said to check everywhere! And I got thumped."

"I'm sorry, Rumple," Gobo said. "Really, I didn't want you guys to go and take risks just to find Wembley!"

"It's okay, Gobo," Rumple said.

"Well, Chimney Hole Cavern's clear," Red sighed.

"No sign of him at Mossy Cavern, either," Large Marvin replied.

"I checked up at the Doozer staircase," Boober said. "Believe it or not, he wasn't there, either!"

"If he were anywhere, that's where he would be," Gobo said with a sigh. "I'm really getting worried. It's just not like Wembley to be gone for this long."

"Yeah, even if he _did_ run away from home, he'd be back by now," Red said.

"Oh no!" Boober shouted. "I just had a terrible thought! What if he was caught by a Fraggle Snatcher?!"

"A what?" Mokey asked.

"A Fraggle Snatcher!" Boober repeated. "Don't you _know_ about Fraggle Snatchers?"

"No," Gobo said. "What are they?"

"They're the worst thing a Fraggle can come across!" Boober shouted. "Even worse than a Gorg! They're very friendly looking. They even look like Fraggles. They lure unsuspecting, naive, young Fraggles away from the Rock with things like radish bars, Doozer sticks, cookies, and other special treats, and when they're far enough away from Fraggle Rock, the Fraggle Snatcher takes them away! Wembley's naive enough to fall for any of the Fraggle Snatchers' tricks! He may be in the clutches of a Fraggle Snatcher as we speak! And the Fraggle Snatcher may be doing horrible, unspeakable torture to Wembley, and then we'll find his rotting corpse laying in a ditch, all mutilated and dismembered, and . . . ."

" _BOO_ BER!" Gobo, Red, and Mokey screamed in unison.

"Well, it _could_ happen!" Boober shouted, defensively. Mokey sighed. Red groaned, and smacked her hand over her eyes.

"I don't want to hear anymore!" Gobo moaned. Then he began going toward the tunnel to Outer Space.

"Where are you going?" Red asked.

"To see if Uncle Traveling Matt sent a postcard," Gobo said. "It'll get my mind off the Fraggle Snatchers. I hope!"

When Gobo reached the hole to Outer Space, he looked in the basket where the Silly Creature that lived there put his uncle's postcards, but it was empty. He was about to go back to the Rock and continue the search for Wembley, when the door opened, and three Silly Creatures walked inside, followed by the Hairy Beast. The Hairy Beast ran to the hole, and began barking. Nervously, Gobo took a couple of steps back.

"Hi there," he said. He knew the Hairy Beast was nice, but he was still a bit wary of it.

"You know what the trouble with you is, Jerry?" a familiar voice said. "You have absolutely no imagination, which is why you never believe me about some of the things I see!"

"What the?" Gobo asked, and he stepped closer towards the Fraggle hole.

"Oh come on, Nev!" another voice said. "I've got as much imagination as the next guy! I think your problem is you have too much imagination! The only things that live in caves are bats, bugs, and an occasional hibernating bear!"

"Boys, knock it off!" the voice of the regular Silly Creature that lived in Outer Space shouted. "I'm tired of your arguing! Now both of you drop it! I don't want to hear another word about these Fraggles you saw, Nevada! And Jerry, I don't want to hear you bring up that they don't exist! Let's just agree to disagree, all right?"

"All right," the other two Silly Creatures said, though grudgingly.

"Nevada!" Gobo shouted, excitedly. Unfortunately, he couldn't get out of the hole, not with Sprocket, the Hairy Beast standing in the way. But he had an idea. He had one of his uncle's postcard's with him, as well as a pencil. On the picture side of the postcard, he wrote something on it, and gave it to Sprocket.

"I need you to do me a favor, Beast," he said, petting Sprocket's nose. "I need Nevada's help. Can you give this to him?"

Sprocket barked, and took the postcard. Then he ran over to Doc, Jerry, and Nevada, who were about to leave the workshop with some of Doc's inventions. They were making a run to the North American Society of Tinkerers' meeting, being held in town. Sprocket dashed over to them, and grabbed Nevada's pant leg in his teeth (dropping the postcard at the same time).

"What's up, Sprocket?" Nevada asked.

"He's probably just hungry," Doc said. "I'll feed you right after I get back from the meeting, Sprockey."

Sprocket let go of Nevada's pant leg, picked up the postcard, and started whimpering, holding the card up to Nevada.

"What's this?" Nevada asked, reading the postcard to himself.

 _Dear Nevada, S.O.S.! From Gobo Fraggle_

Once Nevada read that, he looked at Sprocket, who ran to the hole in the wall. Nevada looked at the hole in the wall, and saw Gobo. Gobo waved to him, and put a finger to his lips to signal Nevada not to say anything. Nevada nodded, and thought fast.

"Whoa! Did you guys see that?!" he shouted.

"What? See what?" Jerry asked.

"That was the biggest rat I ever did see!" Nevada shouted. "Look at the size of that hole in the wall, Doc!"

"Oh, that's always been there," Doc said. "For some reason, I've never gotten around to fixing it."

"Well, why don't you guys go to the meetin', and I'll stay here and fix up this hole?" Nevada suggested.

"Okay, Nev, if you're sure," Jerry said, shrugging.

"Oh, I'm sure," Nevada said. "I've never been more sure in my life."

"All right," Doc said. "We'll see you in a couple of hours, then."

And with that, Doc and Jerry left. Nevada raced over to the Fraggle hole, and knocked on the wall.

"Okay, Gobo, coast is clear," he said. "You can come out now."

"Hi, Nevada!" Gobo shouted, racing out of the hole, and giving the Silly Creature explorer a big hug. "Boy, oh boy, am I _ever_ happy to see you!"

"Yeah, I'm happy to see you, too," Nevada said. "Though I didn't think it'd be this soon. So what is this S.O.S. stuff?"

"Is Wembley with you?"

"Wembley? No, I haven't seen him since I left Fraggle Rock."

"Uh oh. I was afraid of that."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Well, it's like this. After you left . . . ."

Gobo went on to explain everything that happened from the moment Nevada left Fraggle Rock to the fight he and Wembley had the night before.

"I said some pretty awful things to him," he said, as he finished. "And nobody has seen him all day. We figured he was so upset he ran away from home, but all the Fraggles searched all the caves, and nobody can find him anywhere. Since he was talking about looking for you, I had hoped he'd be with you when I found out you were back here."

"Well, unfortunately, he isn't," Nevada said. "And since he's nowhere down in Fraggle Rock, or in the Gorgs' part of town, there's only one more place he could be."

"Yeah. The other side of Outer Space, where you came in."

"Right. I'll meet you by the cave entrance. There's absolutely no way I can get through this hole in the wall! Have some Fraggles ready to roll, okay?"

"Okay, Nevada!"

"And don't worry about a thing. We'll find Wembley. I'm sure of it."

"I sure hope so."

With that, Nevada grabbed his hat and jacket, and raced out the door of Doc's workshop. Gobo began going down the tunnel in order to get to Fraggle Rock to get some of the other Fraggles. There wasn't a moment to lose, as far as Gobo was concerned.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song featured in this chapter is from the movie "Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird."_


	15. From Bad to Worse

Gobo, Red, Mokey, and Boober had made it up to the cave entrance just as Nevada arrived.

"Hi, guys," Nevada said. "Gobo already filled me in on what's been goin' on."

"Do you have any idea where Wembley is, Nevada?" Mokey asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Nevada said. "If he's lookin' for me, he shoulda gone out the other way, he would've found me faster, considerin' Jerry and I are stayin' with his grandfather for a couple of weeks."

"I guess he figured you left already," Red said, shrugging.

"What do you think we should do now?" Mokey asked.

"We're gonna look for him out here, that's what," Nevada said. "Only we're gonna have to make it fast. This park closes at sunset. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and not a whole lot of time to do it."

"What do you suggest, Nevada?" Red asked.

"In order to cover as much ground as possible, we're gonna have to split up," Nevada said.

"Should we meet back here when we're done?" Gobo asked.

"I don't know," Nevada said. "I don't want to end up gettin' stuck inside here when the park closes, and risk gettin' arrested for tresspassin'. I think the best bet is to meet at the front gate."

"How will we know the front gate when we see it?" Mokey asked.

"And how will we get back to Fraggle Rock if we're at the front gate?" Boober asked.

"Since you guys are animals, no one's even gonna notice you runnin' around after hours," Nevada said. "And just look for me on the other end of this place."

"Come on, guys!" Gobo shouted. "We're wasting time!"

The others agreed, and split up to look for Wembley, and they knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Wembley, meanwhile, was still wandering around the busy streets of the city, and it seemed to be getting more and more crowded, and noisier. Those large, wheeled creatures were making honking sounds, and sometimes, sirens would start going off.

"And I thought my siren was loud for the Fraggle Rock volunteer fire department!" Wembley shouted. "The Silly Creatures' sirens are even louder!"

At that point, Wembley tried to get across the street, and he didn't notice that he was crossing against the light. Since Fraggle Rock doesn't have traffic signals, he wouldn't have been aware of this, anyway. However, Wembley became aware of it pretty soon. Horns began honking, and tires began squealing all around him. He had to duck and dodge to avoid getting clobbered by these giant creatures.

"Yikes!" he shouted, as he made a mad dash to the other side of the street. Luckily, he made it without getting clobbered.

"Wow, how do Silly Creatures survive out here?!" he shouted. "I guess maybe they're used to it."

Wembley continued on his way. He noticed it was beginning to get darker out. Street lights were beginning to turn on. The fronts and backs of the strange wheeled creatures began to light up. It was then the green Fraggle realized something.

"What if I don't find Nevada by the time it gets dark out here?" he asked. "Where am I gonna sleep?"

Wembley thought of another problem at that moment. His stomach began growling. Immediately, he took off his backpack, opened it, and began rummaging through it. To his complete horror, it was empty. He had eaten everything he had packed earlier.

"Oh great," he said, sarcastically, as he threw his backpack aside. " _Now_ what am I gonna do? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. I'd better head for home."

Wembley turned around, and tried to go back in the direction he came from, but he realized something else, too. He was completely lost. He had spent the entire day wandering around the city streets, he didn't remember which way he had come from. He didn't even know where he was now.

"Now I _know_ this wasn't such a good idea," he said. "Which way should I go?"

Wembley pondered the situation over. Then he closed his eyes, and spun in a circle. When he stopped, he decided to go in the direction he was pointing in. It was about the only thing he could do.

Meanwhile, Nevada and the four Fraggles met at the front gates to the park, just as it was about to close. The Fraggles were able to talk to Nevada through the fence, however.

"Did anybody have any luck?" Nevada asked.

"None," Gobo sighed.

"He isn't anywhere in here," Mokey said.

"I don't know where he could be," Red said.

"Unless he's out there," Boober said, pointing towards the city. "Somewhere."

"That's the only thing I can think of," Nevada said. "But I don't think it'd be a good idea to search now. It's gettin' dark, and some of the areas around here can be dangerous at night."

"I can only hope Wembley doesn't wander into any of _those_ areas," Boober said, nervously.

"Me too," Gobo said. "What do we do now, Nevada?"

"We'll have to pick up the search tomorrow," Nevada said. "I don't like it anymore than you guys, but I'd rather not be on the streets at night."

"I agree with Nevada," Boober said. "It might be dangerous."

"Even though explorers and adventurers face danger all the time," Nevada said, "sometimes it's stupid to actually walk into a dangerous situation. You understand that, don't you, Gobo?"

"Yeah, I do," Gobo said, nodding. "I'm just so worried about Wembley. I mean, he's just a little guy. What's he going to do if he's lost out there? What's he going to eat? Where's he going to sleep? What if something happens to him?"

"Try not to think about it, Gobo," Mokey said.

"Come on, let's get back to the Rock," Red said. "Who knows? Maybe he's back there now."

Gobo nodded, but he wasn't so sure. He decided to think positively, though. Red might have been right. In fact, he began to think she was right, because when the four Fraggles returned to the cave entrance, they saw the form of a Fraggle there, but since it was so dark, they couldn't tell who exactly it was. Gobo, thinking it was Wembley, ran to the entrance as fast as he could, but his heart sank when he saw that it was Lou.

"Oh, it's just you," he said, sounding disappointed.

"Thanks a heap," Lou said, a bit insulted.

"I'm sorry, Lou, I was hoping you were Wembley. What are you doing up here, anyway? Did you find Wembley down in the caves?"

"No, we didn't. I came up here to wait for you and see if you had any luck. Did you?"

"Unfortunately, no. Nevada didn't want to look around outside of here in the dark, either."

"Not that I blame him," Boober said. "It _was_ pretty scary out there!"

"Oh," Lou said, sounding just as disappointed as Gobo did. Mokey put her arm around the lavender Fraggle, and gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be all right, Lou," she said. "I'm sure Wembley's going to be all right."

"I hope so," Lou said.

"I hope so, too," Gobo said.

"Come on, everybody," Boober said. "It's getting late, and I've got to get dinner on."

The others nodded, and began walking down the staircase. Nobody felt like sliding down.

Boober made radish stew for dinner, one of Gobo's favorites, but Gobo was too worried about Wembley to eat much of it. As a matter of fact, Lou didn't each much, either. She was almost as worried about Wembley as Gobo was. Gobo understood completely. Wembley and Lou were very good friends, and he knew Wembley had a crush on Lou. He had never been quite sure if the crush was reciprocated or not, but now he was beginning to think it was.

As Gobo got ready for bed, he began to feel weird. He wasn't used to being there by himself. The only other time he spent the night alone in the cave was when Wembley went on his first solo overnight hike. Gobo climbed up the ladder to Wembley's bunk, and just stood there, looking around. He saw a picture of him and Wembley tacked on the wall. Mokey had painted it. Wembley had put it beside his bed so it would be the first thing he saw whenever he woke up in the morning. Seeing the picture made Gobo feel even worse than he was feeling before.

 _Is there more I could've said_

 _Now there only pictures in my head_

 _That's why my color's feeling grey_

 _Sometimes even I have rainy days_

 _Remember when the roof caved in_

 _While we were rocking out_

 _Who'd of thought your wembling_

 _Would be hard to live without_

 _If we could do it all again_

 _Just another chance to see your grin_

 _Would you have gone, or even care_

 _Or did something break we can't repair_

 _Is there more I could've said_

 _Now they're only pictures in my head_

 _Could we do it all again_

 _Play and laugh like we did then_

 _Back here at home where we belong_

 _We could harmonize for one more song_

 _But i'm standing here instead_

 _Now they're only pictures in my head_

"Gobo?" a voice from the doorway asked, just as Gobo finished his song.

"Huh?" he asked, turning around. He saw Red standing there. "Oh, hi Red."

"You okay?" Red asked.

"I don't really know," Gobo said, heaving a sigh. "I feel so terrible about the fight I had with Wembley, especially when I said I didn't care if anything happened to him. I can't stop thinking, what if something _does_ happen to him? What if something really bad happens, and I never get the chance to apologize?"

"It's be okay, Gobo," Red said, putting her arm around Gobo's shoulders. "We're all pretty worried about Wembley."

"I know he's old enough to be on his own, but he's still practically just a kid. I can't help worrying about him like this. After all, he _is_ my best friend!"

"I know, Gobo."

Red then gave Gobo a big hug. It was about all she could do. Gobo returned the hug, and held Red for a little while. Red didn't mind. She knew Gobo was feeling bad.

"Do you want me to stay here with you tonight?" she asked. "I could use Wembley's bunk, if that's okay."

"What about Mokey?" Gobo asked. "Won't she get lonely?"

"I talked to her before I left, and she said she'll be fine. After all, she has Lanford to keep her company."

Gobo thought over Red's offer. Very few Fraggles of the opposite gender ever shared a cave. Still, it _would_ be nice to have some company, so the cave wouldn't seem so empty and alone.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that," Gobo said, finally. "Thanks, Red."

"No problem," Red said, climbing the ladder to Wembley's bunk. "We'd better get a goodnight's sleep."

"Yeah, we're picking up the search bright and early tomorrow morning."

Gobo and Red said their goodnights, and tried to go to sleep, though it wasn't easy. Gobo couldn't help wondering what Wembley was doing, and whether or not he was okay.

At that time, Wembley was still wandering the streets, hungry and exhausted. The only light source he had were the street lights, and they only provided an amber colored glow to everything. The streets were almost empty as well, and it was eerily quiet. Wembley didn't like this at all. He hadn't realized it, but he had wandered into the seedy side of the city. There was trash strewn everywhere, and graffiti on the walls. There were several seedy looking bars, and the neon lights there didn't help with the atmosphere. It just seemed to make things more creepy.

As Wembley was walking, he heard a siren blaring, and ducked into an alley, until the siren faded into the distance. Finally, he sat down, and heaved a sigh.

"I don't like it here," he said, sniffling. "I want to go home!"

Wembley sat there and started to cry. He didn't know what else to do. Unfortunately for him, things were about to get worse. After searching the city all day, Shifty and Max finally caught up with the little green Fraggle.

"There he is!" Max shouted, pointing to the alley.

"Quiet, you idiot!" Shifty hissed, smacking Max in the shoulder. "We don't want to scare him off!"

"Sorry, boss. So what's the plan?"

"You go dig up that old organ box we had when we tried to do the hurdy gurdy bit before the monkey ran away. I'll take care of the fuzzball. Meet me back at the apartment once you've found it."

Max nodded, and he ran off. Shifty put out his cigar, and quietly crept up to the alley. Wembley had his back turned to the street, so he wasn't aware of anyone coming, at least, not until a large shadow loomed over him. He looked over his shoulder to see what was there, but before anything else could happen, Shifty grabbed him, and held his muzzle closed, so he couldn't call for help.

"Just take it easy, little fella," Shifty said. "Everything's gonna be okay. Uncle Shifty won't hurt ya."

Wembley struggled, and desperately tried to get out of Shifty's grip, but it was no use. Shifty took him to a run down, apartment building, and the inside looked worse than the outside! The plaster was cracked, the floorboards creaked, and the pipes were exposed. Max was sitting in a chair with his feet propped up on the table, where a small street organ sat.

"Good, you got the organ," Shifty said. "Now help me with this furball. We gotta make sure he don't escape!"

"Right, boss," Max said, walking over to a closet. He took some rope out, and walked over to one of the exposed pipes.

Shifty held Wembley against the pipe, while Max tied him to it. To make sure he wouldn't attract any attention, as the walls of the apartment were practically paper thin, Shifty took his handkerchief out of his pocket, and tied it around Wembley's muzzle so tight, the green Fraggle couldn't even open his mouth.

"That oughta hold ya for now," Shifty said, smiling a creepy looking smile at Wembley. "Just wait until tomorrow, little fella! You are gonna make Uncle Shifty very rich indeed!"

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song in this chapter is from the movie "The Muppets," from 2011, except I cut out one verse and changed some of the lyrics to make it work._


	16. Hurdy Gurdy Fraggle

Gobo woke up with a start. He just had the most horrible nightmare. In it, he and Wembley were exploring a cave, and a giant shadow came swooping by them, and then it disappeared. Then, Gobo went to explore one part of the cave, while Wembley went to explore another part.

"Psst!" a voice from the shadowy part of the cave hissed. "Hey you! Little Fraggle!"

"Who, me?" Wembley asked.

"Yeah, you," the strange voice said. "Come here!"

Wembley came closer to the shadowy area of the cave, but he couldn't see anyone in there. All he could hear was a voice.

"Wembley, don't get too close to those shadows!" Gobo warned. "It might be dangerous!"

"I'm not dangerous, little Fraggle," the voice in the shadows said. "Want some radish ice cream?"

"Sure!" Wembley shouted.

"Then come a little closer," the voice in the shadow said.

"Wembley, no! Don't!" Gobo shouted, and he began running over to the shadowy area as fast as he could, but he wasn't fast enough.

Wembley went even closer to the shadows, when he was suddenly grabbed, and pulled into them. Evil laughter then echoed through the caves, and the shadow that was swooping at the two Fraggles appeared.

"Gotcha, little Fraggle!" the figure shouted, evilly. He sounded like he was using three different voices at once. "You'll never escape from me!"

"Gobo, help me!" Wembley shouted, struggling to get away.

"You let him go!" Gobo demanded. "Who do you think you are, anyway?!"

"I'm the Fraggle Snatcher!" the shadowy figure shouted, morphing into what looked like a cross between a Fraggle and a dragon, with giant bat-like wings on his back. "I snatch up young Fraggles like this one and take them away with me! And they're never seen or heard from again, either!"

"Oh yeah?" Gobo asked. "Well, I'm not gonna let you take Wembley!"

The Fraggle Snatcher growled, and smacked Gobo in the face as hard as he could, causing the orange Fraggle to stumble backwards, right toward the edge of a cliff. Then he laughed, and began to flap his wings, stirring up a breeze, which knocked Gobo right off the cliff.

"Whoooooooaaaaa!" he shouted, as he fell.

"Gobo!" Wembley shouted.

The Fraggle Snatcher laughed maniacally, and flew away, taking Wembley with him, and all Gobo could do was fall. He woke up just before he hit the bottom of the cliff.

"What a nightmare!" he shouted.

"You okay, Gobo?" Red asked, climbing down the ladder.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Red," Gobo said, with a sigh. "I think Boober's story about the Fraggle Snatcher just got to me, that's all. That's what I was dreaming about."

"Yeah, me too. What did he look like in yours?"

"A shadowy cross between a Fraggle and a dragon with bat wings."

"He was a clown in mine. A regular, normal looking, happy clown. He was luring a bunch of little Fraggles, including Wembley, away with circus music, and balloons, and magic tricks, and radish candy. Then, when all these little Fraggles were inside this big tent, it disappeared, and I looked and I looked, but I couldn't find it."

Neither Red, nor Gobo, were going to get back to sleep for awhile, so they decided to go get a midnight snack to calm their nerves. They were surprised when they found Mokey and Boober sitting by a Doozer construction, munching on Doozer sticks.

"What are you guys doing here?" Red asked.

"Probably the same as you," Boober said. "You had a nightmare about the Fraggle Snatcher and now you can't get back to sleep, right?"

"Yeah," Gobo said. "You guys, too huh?"

"Yes," Mokey nodded. "He looked like a very nice, kind, grandfatherly type of Fraggle in my dream. He told Wembley that his pet thimble bug was missing, and he asked to help find it. I tried to run after them, but I couldn't catch up with them, no matter how fast I went."

"In mine," Boober said, "he was a giant, two-headed, eight-legged, four-eyed monster with sharp teeth and wild hair, who was snatching up lots of younger Fraggles and stuffing them into a huge sack. Wembley was one of them. Once he got them all, he threw the bag over his shoulder and left."

"I guess this is why our parents always told us never to talk to strange creatures when we were little," Red said.

"Yes, even ones who seem nice can turn out to be mean," Mokey said.

"I wish you hadn't mentioned the Fraggle Snatcher, Boober," Gobo said. "Now I know I'm going to be up all night thinking about it, and worrying about whether or not Wembley was snatched by it. If there really _is_ such a thing as a Fraggle Snatcher, that is."

"I'm sorry, Gobo," Boober said.

It took a little time, but the four Fraggles managed to get back to sleep. The next morning, they, along with Lou, were up at the cave entrance, waiting for Nevada. He arrived shortly afterwards.

"Hey, guys," he said. "Did you hear anythin' from Wembley last night?"

"No," Mokey said. "But I thought you said he was somewhere out in the world of you Silly Creatures."

"I know that," Nevada said. "But I did some thinkin', and there's a possible chance that he managed to find his way back here."

"That's true," Gobo said.

"It's also possible that he could be around the park somewhere as well," Nevada went on. "After all, we didn't give the place a very thorough search yesterday since it was close to closin' time. Today, we have more time to do it."

"Good," Boober said. "That way, we won't have to go out into the scary part of this world!"

"I hate to tell you this, Boober," Nevada said, "but if Wembley isn't out here, then we're gonna have to look out in the streets."

"I don't really care where we have to look," Gobo said. "The important thing is that we find Wembley!"

"Right," Red said. "Come on, guys, we've got a lot of ground to cover."

"You want to come with us, Lou?" Mokey asked.

"No, I think I'll wait here," Lou said. "Just in case Wembley comes back before you do."

"Good idea," Gobo said, as he, Red, Mokey, Boober, and Nevada began their search.

"Good luck!" Lou called. Then she sat down on a rock by the cave entrance. She had a feeling she was going to be in for a long wait.

Elsewhere, Shifty and Max were awakening, and about ready to begin their day. Shifty walked over to Wembley, untied him, picked him up, and sat him down on the table.

"Good morning, little buddy!" he sang, in a sickening sweet voice. "Are you ready to make a Uncle Shifty rich today?"

"Uhhh, can I ask a question first?" Wembley asked, a little nervously.

"Yeah, what the hey," Shifty said. "Shoot."

"Why did you bring me here?" Wembley asked.

"To work for us, of course!" Shifty shouted.

"But I already have a job," Wembley said. "I'm the siren for the Fraggle Rock volunteer fire department."

"Heh, ain't that cute, Max?" Shifty asked, in a patronizing tone. "He's the siren for the Fraggle Rock volunteer fire department!"

"Yeah, that's real cute, boss," Max said, and then he and Shifty started laughing. Wembley didn't see what was so funny about that, but he started laughing anyway. He didn't know what else to do. However, his laughter stopped abruptly, when Shifty grabbed him by the front of his banana tree shirt, and jerked him forward.

"You just got a new job, shorty!" he shouted. "What you're gonna do is sing and dance in front of lots and lots of people, and you're gonna make us lots and lots of money, you get it?"

"Y-y-y-yes sir!" Wembley shouted, nervously.

"We tried this bit with a monkey before," Max said. "But he ran away."

"Really?" Wembley asked. "Why?"

"Who knows?" Shifty asked, lighting a cigar. "Animals are funny that way. You don't feed 'em for a couple of days, and they get temperamental for no good reason. Now you wouldn't run away on us, would you?"

Wembley didn't respond right away. He wasn't sure he knew how. He seriously wanted to run as fast as he could and get out of the apartment building, and away from these two men. He didn't like them at all, especially not Shifty. But when he didn't answer, Shifty grabbed him once again by the front of his shirt, and not only jerked him forward, but lifted him off the table as well.

"Wouldn't you?!" he shouted, right in the green Fraggle's face, giving him a good whiff of cigar smoke.

"No! No, of course not!" Wembley shouted, nervously. "I mean, not if you don't want me to. Uhhh . . . ."

"Good," Shifty said, dropping Wembley to the floor.

 _THUD!_

Wembley coughed, groaned, and sat up, but he didn't move otherwise. Shifty walked across the room, and pulled something out of a drawer.

"But just in case you get any bright ideas about making a break for it, kid . . . ." he said, grabbing Wembley by the arm, and pulling him forward.

The next thing Wembley knew, Shifty was fastening a collar around his neck with a padlock, so he'd be unable to get it off. It was pretty tight, but not tight enough to restrict his breathing, or affect his singing. But it _was_ awfully uncomfortable. After the collar was fastened, Shifty attached a leash to it. He gave the leash a hard tug, which not only jerked Wembley forward, but nearly strangled him as well.

" _Glaaakkkh_!" he choked, grabbing the collar and trying to pull it off so he could breathe a little easier.

"See, _that's_ what's gonna happen if you step outta line, kid," Shifty explained. "Now, if you're a good little . . . . whatever you are, and do what we tell ya, we won't have to yank on this leash like I just did, got it?"

"Yes, sir," Wembley said, coughing a little.

"Good," Shifty said. Then he turned to Max. "Get your costume from the last time we did this. You're gonna be the grinder, and he's gonna be the monkey."

"What about you, boss?" Max asked.

"I'm gonna take care of the money," Shifty said, as he tied the end of the leash to the pipe for the time being.

"Why can't you be the grinder this time, boss?"

"I told you already, I can't do an Italian accent like you can. Besides, you look more the part than I do. Now hurry up so we can get this show on the road!"

Max nodded, and went to change. When he came out, he was wearing a stereotypical Italian organ grinder's costume, consisting of a long sleeved white shirt, a bright green vest and neckerchief, khaki colored knee breeches, white knee socks, brown loafers, a green Tyrolean hat, and a large, fake mustache.

"Howsa this, boss?" he asked, in a fake Italian accent.

"Perfect, perfect," Shifty said, untying Wembley's leash. "Come on, fuzz face. Time to go to work."

"Yes, sir," Wembley said. _Any_ thing to avoid getting yanked again.

Shifty and Max set up their organ box on a corner in one of the most populated sections of the city. Shifty knew several people passed this way, and he figured the more traffic an area received, the more money he'd make. Once they were set up, Max began turning the crank on the organ, and music came out of it. A couple stopped to look, but went on their way, obviously not impressed, especially since Wembley was practically frozen with fear.

"Oh brother," Max groaned. "What a time for him to get stage fright!"

"Don't just stand there, you little runt!" Shifty shouted. "Do something!"

Wembley gulped. He was too scared to do anything, but he knew if he didn't, Shifty would just yank on the leash and possibly choke him to death. Then he began to think about the time Gobo went to face the Beast of Blue Rock and forgot his pickaxe. Wembley had to take it to him, and was scared to go after him. He talked to the Trash Heap about it, and she sang him a song to boost his courage. He remembered what she had said.

 _Now, don't forget, when you're in trouble, you try this. It'll help._

"I guess it can't hurt to try it," Wembley said, with a shrug. "After all, I _am_ in trouble, and if it worked then, it might work now."

 _When you're starting to feel some fear,_

 _Make a little thing like a brave boy here._

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

 _When you're starting to be scared all night,_

 _Brave boy jump up gonna make it right._

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

 _Here's a spell,_

 _Gonna make you well,_

 _Every time you're telling it, whee!_

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

 _Well, come on mister, got to be brave boy._

 _Sing a little spell._

 _Gonna feel some joy._

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

 _Tell your friends, tell your enemies,_

 _Brave boy jump up is bound to please._

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

 _Here's a spell,_

 _Gonna make you well,_

 _Every time you're telling it, whee!_

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

 _Jump up, turn around, cross over._

Wembley danced about as he sang, acting out the song's refrain by jumping, turning, and crossing over, using the leash as a limbo bar of sorts. His singing drew more people over. When he was finished, everyone applauded. That was Shifty's cue. He took off his hat and passed it around the crowd, who gave very generously. For the rest of the day, Shifty and Max moved from street corner to street corner. Wembley would sing and dance, and the people gave them money.

"That's a good little monkey," Shifty said.

"I'm not a monkey," Wembley said. "I'm a Fraggle."

"I don't care what you are!" Shifty shouted. "Just as long as you make me money!"

Wembley sighed, and continued his routine, though it wasn't much fun. Normally, Fraggles loved to sing and dance, but that was when it was their own free will. It wasn't any fun to be forced into it.

Meanwhile, Nevada and the four Fraggles were still searching the park. They had split up to search, but Gobo went with Nevada. As they were searching, they came across the playground.

"Hey, look at that, Nevada!" Gobo shouted. "There's a bunch of little Silly Creatures over there!"

"There usually are a lot of kids at a playground," Nevada explained, checking his watch. "Especially at this time of day. School's out. Sometimes, kids will head over to the playground after they get out of school."

"Looks like they're having a lot of fun, eh?"

"Yeah, I used to love playin' at the playground when I was a kid."

Gobo nodded, but he knew he didn't have time to play. He still had work to do. They were about to head away from the playground, when they heard one of the kids shouting.

"Hey, guys, look at that!"

"Is that another Fraggle?" a girl's voice asked. This stopped Nevada and Gobo cold.

"Fraggle?" they asked in unison. Then they turned around, and headed for the playground.

"Hey, kids," Nevada said. "I don't mean to pry, but did one of you just say the word Fraggle?"

As it turned out, the kids in question were none other than Bobby Powers, Ellen Armbruster, Ronnie Demuth, and Julie Olsen. And when Ellen realized who was talking to her and her friends, she nearly fainted.

"Holy cow!" she shouted. "It's . . . it's . . . _Nevada Nesmith_!"

"Yeah, that's me all right," Nevada said.

"Holy cow!" Ellen shouted again.

"Is that a Fraggle, Mr. Nesmith?" Ronnie asked, pointing to Gobo.

"Yeah, I sure am," Gobo said. "My name's Gobo. What's your name?"

"I'm Ronnie," Ronnie said. "And these are my friends, Bobby, Julie, and Ellen."

"Nice to meet you, Ronnie," Gobo said, shaking Ronnie's hand. "And it's nice to meet Bobby, Julie, and Ellen, too. How do you know what a Fraggle is? We don't usually come up into Outer Space. Oh, I know! You've met my Uncle Traveling Matt! He explores your world a lot!"

"No, the Fraggle we met yesterday was named Wembley," Julie said.

"Wembley?!" both Gobo and Nevada shouted at the same time.

"Yeah, he said he was looking for you, Mr. Nesmith," Ellen said.

"Do you know which way he went?" Nevada asked.

"Yeah, he left the park and turned right," Ellen said. "But we didn't see where he went after that."

"That doesn't help much, does it?" Gobo asked.

"No, but it _does_ give us a clue," Nevada said. "Thanks a lot, kids! We really appreciate it! Come on, Gobo, we've gotta find Red, Mokey, and Boober and let them know about this!"

With that, Nevada and Gobo ran off to find the other three Fraggles. Once they left, the kids went back to the playground. Ellen suddenly stopped, and then snapped her fingers.

"Nuts! I should've asked for his autograph!" she shouted.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song in this chapter is from the "Fraggle Rock" episode, "The Beast of Blue Rock". Sorry for springing all these musical numbers on you all of a sudden. I should warn you, there will be more to come. Also, I am aware that I'm using the wrong term for the title of this chapter, as a hurdy gurdy is really a string instrument, but I just like the words "hurdy gurdy," and it works._


	17. Feeling Blue

Nevada and Gobo managed to regroup with Red, Mokey, and Boober fairly quickly, and immediately left the park to continue their search.

"I was afraid of this," Boober said, nervously.

"You want to split up to cover more ground?" Red asked.

"No, I don't think that'll be a good idea," Nevada said. "This city's pretty big. You might get lost yourselves around here. So stick together, and stay close."

Suddenly, a large truck whizzed by, with it's horn blaring, practically scaring all four Fraggles out of their skin. Boober let out a shriek, and jumped onto Nevada, wrapping his arms around his head, and his legs around his neck, shaking like crazy and whimpering. Nevada managed to pry him off and put him down on the sidewalk.

"Not _that_ close, Boober!" he shouted.

"Sorry," Boober said, a little sheepishly. "It's just so . . . . different out here. And scary! I don't know how your uncle stands it, Gobo!"

"I think he's a lot braver than we are," Gobo said, nervously.

"Yeah," Red agreed, and she took Nevada's hand out of nervousness.

"Come on, guys, let's get goin'," Nevada said, and the quintet walked down the street in the direction the kids at the playground had indicated.

Even though they didn't have much to go on, the quintet still had to try everything they could think of, and that including asking anybody they could. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to have seen Wembley. Some of them even looked at Nevada as if he were crazy.

"You know, kid, usually people see pink elephants when they've had too much to drink," one man said. "You're the first one I've ever met who's seen little green men."

"I'm _not_ drunk!" Nevada shouted, indignantly. "I'm dead serious here!"

"Yeah, sure, pal," the man said. "Why don't you go home and sleep it off, okay? I'll call you a cab."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Nevada said, glaring at the man, and he and the four Fraggles stormed off.

"He was a lot of help," Red said, sarcastically.

"It's like some of these people can't even see us," Mokey said.

"We'll never find Wembley at this rate," Boober said.

"You've been pretty quiet, Gobo," Red said. "What's wrong?"

"I can't get Boober's scenario out of my head," Gobo said. "It's driving me crazy!"

"What was his scenario?" Nevada asked. "Wembley's lost somewhere, fallen and can't get up, and is at death's door or somethin'?"

"Ne _va_ da!" Gobo shouted, angrily. "That's not helping!"

"Sorry, Gobo," Nevada said. "I was just tryin' to think like ol' Boober. Mr. Doom and Disaster himself."

"I'm not _that_ bad!" Boober shouted.

"Yes you are," Red muttered under her breath.

"No, he was talking about the Fraggle Snatcher," Gobo continued.

"Fraggle Snatcher?" Nevada repeated.

"Yeah," Red said. "He says that Fraggle Snatchers use tricks like offering radish bars, or radish candy, or other Fraggle treats to young, unsuspecting Fraggles, and then the Fraggle Snatcher snatches them up, and takes them away, and they're never seen or heard from again."

"Don't forget the part about finding Wembley's rotting corpse in a ditch," Boober said. "All dismembered and mutilated, and . . . ."

"Stop it, Boober!" Gobo shouted. "I _don't_ want to think about it!"

"Thank goodness Silly Creatures don't have monsters like that!" Mokey said. "Right, Nevada?"

Mokey didn't get an answer. She looked up at her human friend, and noticed he had a strange expression to his face. It was somewhat of a cross between nervous, and sick. The other Fraggles noticed this as well.

"Nevada?" Red asked. "Nevada, are you listening?"

"That's the one thing I didn't think of," Nevada said, nervously, and he suddenly went pale. "Oh my gosh . . . . why didn't I think of that?! Oh my gosh . . . . I gotta sit down . . . ."

"What's wrong, Nevada?" Gobo asked.

"I hate to tell you this, Mokey," Nevada said, as he sat down, "but we _do_ have monsters like that in our world. Not quite literally, but some of us Silly Creatures are crooks. There's a good possibility that Wembley's been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?!" Boober shouted. "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!"

"But how? Why?" Gobo asked.

"You guys gotta admit, a Fraggle is somethin' you don't see every day up here," Nevada explained. "Wembley would be an easy target, too. Lost, alone, scared . . . . he could have just gone up to someone and ask for help, not knowin' any better, and they could've taken him then and there. Someone coulda snatched him right off the street and sold him to a zoo or a pet store or somethin' like that."

"Do they do that often?" Red asked.

"Only with animals," Nevada said. "But what Boober said about findin' Wembley's body in a ditch . . . ."

"Don't tell me that can happen," Gobo said. "Please, Nevada, _please_ don't tell me that can actually happen!"

"It can happen," Nevada said, grimly.

"I told you not to tell me that," Gobo moaned, covering his eyes with his hands.

"Oh dear," Mokey said.

"You're kidding!" Red shouted.

"I wish I were kiddin'," Nevada said. "Unfortunately, I'm not. And the worst part about it is it can happen to kids, too. In nineteen eighty-one, there was this six-year-old boy in Florida who was taken from a mall when he was lookin' at video games and his mother stepped away for a minute. Just for a minute. Two weeks later, they found his head in a canal. Only his head. They never found the rest of the body."

"Oh my goodness . . . ." Boober said, feeling a little sick. Mokey gasped, and covered her mouth with her hands. Red and Gobo couldn't believe their ears.

"I'm not even _about_ to go into what else some of these depraved scumbags do to little kids!" Nevada shouted. "It'll make your hair stand on end!"

"Too late for that," Boober said, as he tried to straighten out his fur, which was standing on end.

"Do you really think Wembley's been kidnapped, Nevada?" Gobo asked.

"I don't know," Nevada said. "I hope not, I _really_ hope not. But unfortunately, it's a possibility."

"Way to go, Boober!" Red shouted, sarcastically. "You just scared Nevada out of his wits!"

"It didn't do much for Gobo's morale, either," Mokey said.

"I'm sorry, Nevada," Boober said. "I'm sorry, Gobo. I never should have said anything about the Fraggle Snatchers!"

Nevada continued to sit there, staring out into space for awhile, feeling a little sick to his stomach.

"It's my fault," he said, suddenly. "This is all my fault! I'm the one who caused this whole mess!"

All four Fraggles couldn't believe what they just heard. They began talking at once, trying to convince Nevada otherwise.

"Of course it isn't your fault, Nevada!" Mokey shouted.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Red shouted.

"How could it have been your fault?" Boober asked.

"If it's anyone's fault, Nevada, it's mine!" Gobo shouted. "I was the one who yelled at Wembley about trying to find you after you left."

"No, Gobo, it _is_ my fault!" Nevada shouted. "If I hadn't explored that cave in the park, then I never would've gotten trapped under those rocks, and I never would've met you Fraggles in the first place, then Wembley wouldn't have gotten so attached to me, and he never would've left Fraggle Rock to go lookin' for me . . . ."

"Well, when you put it that way . . . ." Boober said.

"Boober!" Red, Mokey, and Gobo shouted at the same time.

"Sorry," Boober said, meekly.

"This never would've happened if I had listened to Doc and Jerry," Nevada said.

"Please don't blame yourself, Nevada," Mokey said. "It wasn't your fault! It wasn't your fault, either, Gobo. Nobody's to blame for this. It just happened."

Nevada heaved a sigh, and stood up. It was time to get going again, but somehow, Nevada just couldn't shake the feeling that this whole mess was his fault, and nothing the Fraggles could do could convince him otherwise.

For the next two days straight, Nevada and the four Fraggles scoured the city, looking high and low for Wembley. They still asked people if they had seen him. Some of them had, and pointed out where he went, but in the long run, it turned into dead ends.

Wembley wasn't faring much better himself. During the two days the Fraggles were looking for him, he was constantly being forced to be an organ grinder's monkey, singing and dancing, doing a lot of hard work while Shifty and Max stood around getting rich. The worst part of it was that Shifty had bought a cage with some of the money, and kept Wembley locked up in it whenever he wasn't working. Every night, when they returned to the apartment, Wembley was exhausted. His feet hurt, his throat was sore, and he was starving. Shifty and Max did feed him, but it was usually their leftovers they pulled out from the garbage, such as apple cores and banana peels. Wembley didn't complain, because Shifty would get mad at him, and give the leash a good hard yank.

"This is the best business venture we ever thought up," Shifty said, counting the money.

"You said it, boss!" Max shouted, flipping through a stack of bills with his thumb.

"Mr. Shifty? Sir?" Wembley asked, timidly.

"What is it, squirt?" Shifty asked, sounding annoyed.

"I was wondering . . . ." Wembley said. "When are you gonna let me go?"

"Let you go?" Max repeated, with a laugh. "That's a good one."

"What's the matter sonny?" Shifty asked. "Dontcha like it here with us? Dontcha like your cage?"

"Well . . . ." Wembley said. "No, not really. I kinda want to go home."

"But this _is_ your home, silly boy," Max said.

"Well, actually," Wembley said, "Fraggle Rock is my home, and I kinda want to go back there 'cause I miss my friends and . . . ."

"Shut up, you overgrown hairball!" Shifty shouted, kicking Wembley's cage clear across the floor, and into the adjacent wall.

 _CRASH!_

"Save your voice for tomorrow," Shifty said, as he put the money into a metal box. Then he and Max left the room to go to bed, turning out the lights.

Wembley sat up, and sighed. Then he began sniffling, as a tear fell from his eye.

"I never should have left Fraggle Rock at all," he said. "Then I wouldn't be in this mess. Nobody knows where I am. They'll never find me. I wonder if they're even looking for me. I wonder if Gobo's still mad at me. I wonder if Lou misses me. I'd give anything just to be home again."

Wembley looked out the window at the moon and stars. He wished one of the stars would be a falling star, so he could make a wish upon it.

 _I'm a Fraggle that's been dreaming_

 _Of a rainbow I can follow_

 _To that old familiar place_

 _I long to see_

 _Friendly faces, a smile to greet me_

 _Or just a simple "Hello, how are you?"_

 _Oh, without them, I'm so blue_

 _There's only one thing that will do_

 _To make this heartache end_

 _To be back home again_

 _I'll never lose my dreams_

 _Even though this time it seems_

 _Like I'm such a long way_

 _From any rainbows_

 _That might keep my dreams from fading_

 _Oh, no wonder I'm so blue_

 _There's only one thing that will do_

 _To make this heartache end_

 _To be back home again_

 _To be back home again_

Wembley sniffled, whimpered, and then began crying, until he cried himself to sleep.

Meanwhile, Nevada and Gobo entered Doc's workshop, feeling dejected. They had decided to search the city that night, while Mokey, Red, and Boober went back to Fraggle Rock. It was late, and they were both exhausted from searching.

"We've looked practically everywhere in this place, and we haven't found even a small trace of Wembley," Gobo said.

"I know," Nevada said. "I just don't know where else we can look. I'm sorry, Gobo."

"I hate to give up, but I'm starting to think we'll never find him."

"We can't think like that, Gobo. We've got to be positive about this!"

"I'm trying, but it's hard. What if Boober's right? What if Wembley was kidnapped, and whoever kidnapped him took him far away? How are we ever going to find him?"

"I don't know, Gobo. I wish I had the answer, but I don't."

Gobo nodded. He understood. He knew Nevada was feeling bad about the situation, but he didn't know what he could say to make him feel better. He just headed for the Fraggle hole so he could get back to Fraggle Rock and get some rest.

"Tomorrow's another day, Nevada," he said, trying to think positive. "Maybe we'll get lucky then."

Nevada nodded, but that was about all. Gobo sighed, and left. Sprocket, who was sleeping in the workshop, woke up then. He sensed Nevada was feeling a bit distressed. He walked up to the explorer, whimpered, and rested his head against Nevada's leg.

"I tell ya, Sprocket, it's kinda scary," Nevada said, petting the dog's head. "You hear about runaway kids on the news, you hear about them gettin' snatched right off the street, but you never think it can happen to you, or someone you know."

"Nevada?" Doc asked, as he opened the door. "What are you doing in here at this hour? Come on to the house and get to bed. It's late."

"I can't sleep," Nevada said, shrugging.

"Oh? Is something wrong?"

"It's some friends of mine. I met them on a recent exploration trip. One of them grew pretty attached to me, which was drivin' his friends crazy after I left, because all he did was mope around and sit by the door waitin' for me to come back. He and his best friend had a fallin' out, and he ran away from home, tryin' to find me, and nobody knows where he is now."

"I see. You feel a little responsible for this, don't you?"

"Yeah. I mean, if I never met these guys, then maybe he'd never would have run away to begin with."

"You mustn't blame yourself, Nevada. You couldn't possibly have known this would happen! It's not your fault."

"But I just can't help it! He ran away from his home lookin' for me! Anythin' can happen to the little guy out there, you know! We're all afraid he might have been kidnapped, and we don't even know if he's still alive . . . . I just don't know what I can do about it!"

"Have you called the police?"

"Uhhh, no, I can't do that. They'd never believe it, anyway. After all, you and Jerry didn't."

"Oh, I see. This is about your little Fraggle friends, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. I know you don't believe me, Doc, but I really _did_ meet a bunch of furry creatures in that cave. Matter of fact, I think they live in your wall, too."

Sprocket immediately began to bark, and raced over to the hole.

"See what I mean?" Nevada asked. "At least Sprocket believes me. Seems to be like he's seen the Fraggles, too."

"Yes, he's been trying to tell me something lives in that hole," Doc said. "For years, he's been trying to convince me. But truthfully, Nevada, I just don't know what to believe. But that's not what's the important thing here. It doesn't matter what Jerry thinks, or what I think, or even what Sprocket thinks. What matters is what you think, and what you believe. And if you believe there are such a thing as Fraggles, then that's what's important."

Nevada nodded, leaned against Doc's table, and sighed. Sprocket walked up to him, put his head in Nevada's lap, and whimpered. Doc scratched his dog behind the ears.

"I have an idea," he said. "Do you know what you need to aid in this search?"

"What?" Nevada asked.

"A dog. A dog would be able to sniff out your friend, and find him in no time! Their sense of smell is about a hundred thousand times more acute than ours is! They have up to three hundred million olfactory receptors. Not to mention that part of a dog's brain is devoted to analyzing smells, which is forty times greater than in humans, proportionately speaking."

"What are you sayin', Doc?"

"I'm saying when you go out searching for this little Fraggle friend of yours, take Sprocket with you," Doc said, rubbing Sprocket's head. "He's got a pretty keen sense of smell."

Sprocket perked up, and began barking enthusiastically. Then put his nose to the ground, and began sniffing about, like a bloodhound. Nevada couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Whattaya say, Sprocket?" he asked, kneeling down to the dog's level. "You want to help me and the Fraggles track down their pal?"

Sprocket barked and nodded his head. He liked Gobo. He had gotten stuck in Fraggle Rock twice, and both times, Gobo had helped him out. Gobo even helped him get out when he got stuck in the Fraggle hole and couldn't get out.

"Thanks, Doc," Nevada said. "I feel a little better now."

"Good," Doc said, patting Nevada on the shoulder. "Now come on to the house and get some sleep. You're going to need your energy tomorrow if you want to find your Fraggle friend."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song in this chapter is from "Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird."_


	18. An Unexpected Source of Help

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: My apologies to the die hard "Fraggle Rock" fans for this chapter, since I'm contradicting the last episodes. We can call this an AU if you'd like. Anyway, the song in this chapter is from the "Fraggle Rock" episode "Wembley's Wonderful Whoopee Water."_

* * *

Early the next morning, Nevada took Sprocket to the park, and met with Gobo, Mokey, Red, and Boober. When Mokey, Red, and Boober saw Sprocket, they nearly ran back in the other direction.

"It's the Hairy Beast!" Boober shouted. "Aaaaahhhh!"

"Hold it, Boober!" Gobo shouted, grabbing Boober's tail before he could run away. "I told you, he's nice once you get to know him!"

"I'm not sure I _want_ to get to know him," Red said, nervously.

"It's okay, fellas," Nevada said, scratching Sprocket behind his ears. "Sprocket's a good dog. He won't hurt you. He's gonna help us find Wembley."

"He is?" Mokey asked. "Really?"

"Sure, dog's have a great sense of smell," Nevada said. "We just need somethin' that has Wembley's scent so he can follow it."

"I'll be right back," Gobo said, and he ran off.

"You sure he's nice?" Red asked.

"Sure I'm sure," Nevada said. "Aren't ya, Sprocket?"

"Woof, woof!" Sprocket barked, nodding his head. He sniffed at the three Fraggles, and then gave them a big slurp.

"Aaaahhhh!" Boober shouted. "He's tasting us!"

"He's just sayin' hello, Boober," Nevada said, rolling his eyes. "That's what dogs do when they like ya. They lick ya."

"Eeewww," Red said, cringing.

"I know, but it's what they do," Nevada said, shrugging.

"How . . . . interesting," Mokey said, and she began to wring out her sweater.

"I'm back!" Gobo called, as he approached the cave entrance, carrying Wembley's spare banana tree shirt. "What happened to you guys? You're all wet!"

Before anyone could answer, Sprocket gave Gobo a big slurp as well.

"Oooohhh, yuck!" Gobo shouted. "Ptooey!"

"That answer your question, Gobo?" Red asked.

"Yes," Gobo said. "As a matter of fact, it does. Anyway, Nevada, I brought Wembley's other shirt so the Hairy Beast . . . ."

"Sprocket," Nevada corrected.

"Sorry," Gobo said. "So Sprocket can get the scent."

"Okay, but let's wait until we get to where we left off yesterday," Nevada said. "Otherwise, we're gonna end up wastin' time at places we know where Wembley's been."

The Fraggles nodded, and started off. Though Mokey was curious about one thing.

"What's that on Sprocket's necklace, Nevada?" Mokey asked. "The long thing you're holding in your hand."

"That's not a necklace, that's a collar," Nevada explained. "And what I'm holdin' is a leash."

"That sounds kind of mean," Mokey said, "pulling an animal like that on a piece of string."

"Well, in some big cities, it's required that dogs be on a leash," Nevada said. "If I didn't have Sprocket on a leash, he might run away and get lost. And then Doc would kill me."

"Doc?" Gobo asked. "Who's Doc?"

"Sprocket's owner," Nevada explained. "I'm sure you've seen him, since you come in and out of that hole in his wall."

"Oh, the Silly Creature that lives in Outer Space!" Gobo shouted. "Okay. I get it now."

"So leashes are a good thing," Mokey said.

"It depends," Nevada said. "If you don't use the leash correctly, it could hurt the dog. Or whatever other animal you're usin' a leash on."

Mokey nodded, though she wasn't sure she got it. But she wasn't going to dwell on that one, anyway. She wanted to remain focused on finding Wembley.

While Nevada, Sprocket, and the four Fraggles were searching, Wembley was being taken to yet a street corner to perform, but he really wasn't feeling up to it. He was tired, his feet ached, and his throat was so sore, he could barely speak. He was also so hungry, he could barely move.

"He don't look too good, boss," Max said, taking the cage out of the back of Shifty's old pickup truck.

"Well, he'd better shape up," Shifty said. "It's almost showtime."

"Please, Mr. Shifty," Wembley begged. "Please don't make me sing and dance anymore. I don't think I can."

"What's your problem, fur face?" Shifty asked. "Dontcha like being famous? People would _kill_ to have people come from all over just to see them perform!"

"But I'm so tired and hungry," Wembley said, coughing a little. "And my throat hurts so bad. I don't think I can make it."

Shifty groaned, grabbed the cage from Max, and dropped it in the pickup. Then he pulled a big, bright red apple out of his pocket, and held it up to Wembley so he could get a good look at it.

"You see this?" Shifty asked. "Looks good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah . . . ." Wembley said. He could feel his mouth watering just looking at it. It was so bright and shiny, and it smelled delicious.

"Well, guess what, kiddo?" Shifty said, switching to an extra syrupy sweet, patronizing voice. "Uncle Shifty is gonna give you this apple. The whole thing this time. That's right. You can have the whole apple all to your little self."

"Gee, thanks, Mr. Shifty!" Wembley shouted, excitedly, and he reached for the apple, but Shifty yanked it out of reach.

" _After_ you perform," Shifty said.

"But . . . but I don't think I can!" Wembley shouted.

"I think he's right, boss," Max said.

"Hmmm," Shifty said, looking at Wembley closely. Then he took out a knife, cut a small piece of the apple, and gave it to Wembley.

"Okay, shorty," he said. "I'll be nice this time. But you don't get the rest of it until after you've done your job, capeesh?"

"What does capeesh mean?" Wembley asked.

"It means do you understand, you little nimrod!" Shifty shouted, sounding extremely annoyed.

"Oh," Wembley said. "Okay, I understand."

"Good," Shifty said.

Max then unlocked the cage, and dragged Wembley out by the collar. Shifty attached the leash, and gave it a good yank to get Wembley to get moving. That small bit of apple helped a little, but Wembley was still feeling too sick to perform. Max began turning the crank on the organ to attract a crowd, and Wembley went into his routine, wondering if he'd ever escape from these two mean Silly Creatures.

However, Lady Luck was about to smile on the little green Fraggle, because Nevada's best friend and Doc's grandson, Jerry Crystal, was driving along, when he saw a crowd of people stopped on a street corner.

"Wonder what's going on over there?" he asked. He pulled his car over to the curb, got out, and walked over to the crowd, tapping an elderly woman on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" he asked. "What's going on? Why are all these people gathered here?"

"It's an old fashioned Italian organ grinder!" the woman shouted, excitedly. "And he has the _cutest_ little monkey!"

"Oh, is _that_ all," Jerry said.

"But you don't understand, young man!" the woman shouted. "This monkey can sing and dance!"

"Sing and dance?" Jerry asked. "This I've _got_ to see!"

Jerry managed to maneuver himself in the crowd so he could get a better look at this singing and dancing monkey. There was Wembley, taking a few deep breaths, getting himself ready. Shifty was getting impatient, so he gave the leash a hard yank, which pulled the green Fraggle to the ground.

"Get going!" he hissed.

Wembley moaned, stood up, and began singing.

 _I believe in magic words_

 _I believe in love_

 _I believe in buried treasure falling from above_

 _One more time the world goes round_

 _One more magic day_

 _Now I've learned the magic sound that speeds it on its way_

 _And it goes pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily boink_

 _Sweet melody_

 _Pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily boink_

 _Neat harmony_

 _Whoa pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily boink_

 _That's music to me_

 _Pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily boink_

 _Pukka pukka squeetily dee_

 _You can learn the magic too_

 _You can learn to sing_

 _You can learn the special words that live in everything_

 _Teach your ear to here the stones_

 _Listen to the trees_

 _Magic is as magic does_

 _It lives in you and me_

 _And it goes pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily boink_

 _Sweet melody_

 _Pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily boink_

 _Neat harmony_

 _Whoa pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily boink_

 _That's music to me_

 _Pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily boink_

 _Pukka pukka squeetily dee_

 _Pukka pukka squeetily dee_

 _Pukka pukka pukka pukka squeetily dee_

Even though the song was upbeat and cheery, Wembley sure wasn't feeling the same. He managed to do it, though, but it took a lot out of him. The crowd loved it, though, and Shifty passed his hat around once more. However, during the performance, Jerry realized something. He had seen this little green "monkey" before. It was the same creature Nevada had shown him in the painting he brought back when he was exploring the cave in the park.

 _So Fraggles are real after all,_ he thought. _Nevada was right!_

Once the crowd began to leave, Max and Shifty were about to move to another street corner, like they usually did, except this time, Wembley fainted from the effort of that last performance.

"Oh great, he passed out," Max groaned. "Now what do we do?"

"Don't worry about it," Shifty said. "We'll douse him with some cold water before we go on. That'll wake him up. Good thing nobody saw it!"

However, Shifty was wrong about that. The two crooks didn't notice Jerry was hanging around, and he saw Wembley pass out. He knew Nevada was around the city with Sprocket, and there was a chance they'd show up on this corner. The question was when. Jerry knew he had to stall these two for as long as he could.

"Hey, wait a minute!" he shouted. "Where'd you guys get this weird 'monkey'?"

"Oh, uhh . . . ." Max said, nervously, and then he put on his fake Italian accent. "He'sa been inna family for years! Yeah, thatsa right. My papa was an organa grinder, and so was his papa befora himma! So the monkey's been handed downa for generationsa!"

"I've never seen a green monkey before," Jerry said.

"Wella, he's beena sick," Max said.

"Yeah, I can tell," Jerry said. "He looks terrible!"

"Yeah, uhhh . . . ." Max said. "As a matta a fact, we gonna take-a him to the vets righta now! So longa, kiddo!"

With that, Max grabbed the organ, Shifty scooped up Wembley, and the two made a mad dash for their pickup truck. Jerry followed them, but managed to stay out of sight. He knew there wasn't any time to go get his car and follow it, so instead, he pulled out his cell phone, pulled up the camera application on it, and took a picture of the license plate without being noticed.

"I've gotta find Nevada!" he shouted, and dashed back to his car as fast as he could. "That little guy doesn't look like he's gonna last too much longer without help, and I seriously doubt those guys are gonna get him any!"

Meanwhile, Nevada, Sprocket, and the four Fraggles were still wandering around. Sprocket was on the trail, but he was having a hard time actually finding Wembley.

"I thought you said dogs were good at sniffing out things!" Red shouted.

"He's tryin'," Nevada said. "You didn't think we'd get results right away, did you?"

"I'm getting worried," Boober said. "I just know we're going to find Wembley, and he's going to be . . . . _mmmpph_!"

Both Red and Mokey grabbed Boober and held his muzzle shut before he could say anything more. They knew what he was about to say, and Gobo and Nevada _didn't_ need to hear any of that. While the sixsome was walking and searching, a car horn began honking right behind them, getting their attention. Nevada, Sprocket, and the four Fraggles looked as the car stopped, and the window on the passenger side came down. It happened to be Jerry.

"Nev!" he shouted. "I'm glad I caught up with you! You are never gonna believe what I just saw!"

"What?" Nevada asked.

"A Fraggle," Jerry said.

"What?!" Nevada shouted. Then he realized something. Jerry must have been talking about Gobo, Mokey, Boober, and Red.

"Oh, I get it," he said. "You mean you just saw four of them with me, right? So now you believe me about Fraggle Rock?"

"Nevada, come on," Jerry said, groaning. "No, I'm not talking about those four! I saw another Fraggle not ten minutes ago down on the corner Henson Avenue and Nelson Boulevard!"

"Another Fraggle?" Nevada asked.

"Was he green with yellow hair and wearing a banana tree shirt?" Gobo asked.

"Yes," Jerry said. "These two guys were using him as an organ grinder's monkey, and they took off after I started asking questions."

"Where are they now?" Red asked.

"I don't know," Jerry said. "All I know is that they put the little guy in a cage in the back of an old, blue pickup truck, and took a right onto Hunt Street. Hop in, we may still get a chance to catch them!"

Immediately, Nevada opened the door to Jerry's car, and dove into the passenger seat, while Sprocket and the four Fraggles climbed into the backseat. Once they were all in, Jerry drove off.

"Listen, Nev, I'm sorry I didn't believe you," he said. "You know me, I have to see it to believe it."

"So now that you've seen us, you believe in us?" Gobo asked.

"Yeah," Jerry said. "I guess so. Don't take it personally, you guys, but that's just how I am."

"Nevada, what's an organ grinder's monkey?" Red asked.

"An organ grinder is a kind of street musician," Nevada said. "They use a barrel organ, which is kind of a box with a crank on it. They use the crank to make music. Some organ grinders use monkeys to dance in order to make money."

"Yeah, that's what they had your friend doing," Jerry said. "Singing and dancing. I don't know how long they had him doing it, but he looked _terrible_! He actually passed out once the crowd left. The guy said he was gonna take him to the vet, but I didn't believe a word of it. One of 'em was using the _worst_ fake Italian accent I have ever heard in my life!"

Jerry pulled his car over on the corner of Henson Avenue and Nelson Boulevard then, showing Nevada and the four Fraggles where he had seen Wembley. Then he drove toward where he saw the truck parked, and drove down, turning onto Hunt Street.

"And this is where I saw them last," Jerry said, putting his car into park for the moment. "I definitely wouldn't have been able to keep up with them on foot, and there was no time to get to my car and follow them."

"Isn't there anyway to track them down?" Gobo asked.

"Well, I _did_ happen to get their license plate," Jerry said, pulling out his phone, and tapping the screen a couple of times.

"Good goin', Jer," Nevada said, taking his friends phone, and enlarging the picture of the license plate. "Aahhh, an eighty-four Chevy Silverado, model C-ten. Kinda beat up, though. Obviously, these guys haven't taken care of this baby."

"How do you know all that?" Mokey asked.

"Nev's a car nut," Jerry explained to the Fraggles. "Should we go to the police and give them the license number so we can track it down?"

"No, that'd take too long," Nevada said. "And they wouldn't give us the results, anyway. A lot of people we asked about Wembley had the same reaction you did, Jer. Some thought I as drunk."

"Oh," Jerry said, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish. "Uhh . . . yeah."

"And we wouldn't have time to wait anyway," Nevada said, "since you said Wembley didn't look very good when you saw him."

"I think our best bet is to go down this tunnel, or whatever you Silly Creatures call it," Gobo said. "And look for this . . . . truck? Is that what you said it was called, Nevada?"

"Right," Nevada said. "Let's hit it, Jer!"

Jerry nodded, and put his car in gear. They had a lot of searching to do, and they didn't know how much time they had to do it in.


	19. Jailbreak

It didn't take long for the four Fraggles and their friends to catch up with the pickup truck they were looking for. Hunt Street led directly to the run down, seedy side of the city, which somehow didn't surprise Nevada in the least.

"I had a feelin' we'd wind up in this part of town sooner or later," he said.

"Looks scary out there," Boober said, nervously.

"You think it's bad now," Jerry said, "you should see it at night."

"Hey, we're looking for something with the letters J, M, H, and the numbers nine, two, four, three, and six on it, right?" Red asked, looking at the photo on Jerry's phone, and then out the window. Nevada had handed the phone to the Fraggles so they would know what to look for. "And it's blue, and kinda beat up?"

"You got it, Red-baby," Nevada said.

"Then turn left here!" Red shouted. "I just saw it!"

Jerry immediately turned left, and there was the truck in question.

"Yeah, that's the truck all right," he said.

"Better not follow too close, Jerry," Gobo said. "Or those Silly Creatures driving it might get suspicious!"

"Right," Jerry said.

Jerry pushed down on the brake, slowing down enough not to look suspicious, but not too slow so they wouldn't lose the truck. They wouldn't have to go too far, however. The truck stopped at a large, run down apartment building. Jerry stopped his car across the street, took his phone from Red, and pretended to make a phone call, in case whoever was in the truck looked over.

"Is that them, Jer?" Nevada asked, as the occupants got out of the truck.

"Yeah, that's them," Jerry said.

"Do you know who they are?" Gobo asked.

"Not one clue," Nevada said, watching carefully, as the two crooks lifted a cage out of the back of the truck.

"Can you tell if it's Wembley inside that cage they're carrying?" Red asked.

"Not from here," Nevada said. "We're too far away."

"Well, if I get any closer, they're gonna think something's up," Jerry said.

"They're going inside that tall Doozer construction," Mokey said.

"Apartment buildin'," Nevada clarified. "We don't have Doozer constructions here in our world."

"Oh, sorry, I forgot," Mokey said.

"How do we know where they're going from here?" Red asked.

"It's gonna look suspicious if we try to follow them," Jerry said.

"One of us is gonna have to go in there and find out," Nevada said.

"I'll go," Gobo volunteered. "Wembley's my best friend, after all!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Boober said. "What if they catch you, Gobo? They might use you as an organ grinder's monkey, too."

"Boober's right," Jerry said. "And I certainly can't go in there. They know what I look like from earlier, and you know how it is with crooks. They don't like it when people get too nosy."

"And I can't come up with a good excuse of why I'd be in there, anyway," Nevada said. "Even if those two don't see us, there's a good chance one of the other tenants might. And we can't just say we're new tenants, just in case we run into the landlord of the buildin' and don't realize it."

"Woof, woof, woof!" Sprocket suddenly barked.

"I think he's got an idea," Red said. "Anybody understand what he's saying?"

"I think he wants to give it a shot," Nevada said. "You want to go in there and snoop around for those crooks, Sprockey-baby?"

Sprocket nodded and barked. Nobody else had any better ideas. Jerry opened the car door, and Sprocket ran out, and over to the apartment building. He looked to the left, and then he looked to the right. Then he pushed open the front door of the building, and went inside.

"I hope he makes it," Mokey said.

"This might work out well," Nevada said. "Nobody's gonna notice a dog comin' in off the street."

"I hope you're right, Nevada," Gobo said.

Once Sprocket was inside the building, he saw Shifty and Max almost immediately. They were climbing up the stairs.

"Why couldn't we rent a place in a building with an elevator?" Max asked. "We've got enough loot now, don't we?"

"Shut up, Max," Shifty said. "We'll talk about moving out later. Besides, walking up four flights of stairs is exercise!"

Sprocket let out a moan. The idea of walking up four flights of stairs was not his idea of fun, but he did it anyway. Finally, he made it to the fourth floor, a few feet behind the two crooks. He managed to get close enough to them to get a good look at the contents of the cage Max was holding while Shifty was trying to find his keys to the door. Sure enough, there was Wembley, laying on his stomach, unconscious. Sprocket whimpered at the sight of him, limp, pale, and obviously sick. Sprocket wasn't even sure if Wembley was still alive, until the Fraggle let out a small moan. The dog heaved a sigh of relief, and wiped his brow. Finally, Shifty got the door open, and he and Max walked inside. Sprocket dared not follow them. Instead, he looked at the number on the door, 4-G. He repeated this number over and over on his way down the stairs and back to Jerry's car.

"Are they in there, Sprocket?" Jerry asked.

"Roof!" Sprocket barked, nodding his head.

"Do they have Wembley with them?" Gobo asked. Once more, Sprocket barked and nodded his head.

"Great!" Red shouted, as she opened the car door, reached over, and rubbed the large dog's head.

"Good boy!" she gushed. "You're such a good boy!"

"What apartment are they in, Sprocket?" Nevada asked.

Sprocket thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to tell the four Fraggles and the two humans what they needed to know. Then, he barked four times.

"Fourth floor?" Nevada guessed. Sprocket barked excitedly. "Okay, they're on the fourth floor. What else?"

Sprocket thought it over again. This was going to be difficult. Finally, he began barking to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," but only the title. Everyone looked at him as if he were nuts.

"I don't get it," Jerry said.

"Neither do we," Gobo said.

"Say that again, Sprockey," Nevada said.

Sprocket heaved a sigh, and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" again. Nevada knew the tune, but he just couldn't see the connection.

"I can't figure it out," Nevada said.

"Unfortunately, we don't have time to guess what he's trying to say," Gobo said.

"And we don't have time to check every single room up there, either," Red said.

"Oh, gee . . . ." Mokey sighed. Suddenly, Sprocket began barking, excitedly.

"Wait a minute," Nevada said. "Mokey, say that again."

"Say what again?" Mokey asked, confused. "All I said was oh gee."

Sprocket barked again, jumping up and down. Nevada clapped his hands, unbuckled his seatbelt, and climbed out of the car.

"That's it!" he shouted. "That's it! Four G! That's the apartment number, right, Sprocket!"

Sprocket barked and nodded, licking Nevada's face. Nevada gave Sprocket's ears a good scratch for a job well done.

"Good work, Sprockey-baby!" he shouted. "They're in apartment four G!"

"I get it," Jerry said. "He wasn't barking 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,' he was barking the alphabet song. I forgot they use the same melody."

"So what do we do now?" Red asked.

"We're gonna go in there and break Wembley out," Nevada said.

"While they're still in there?" Boober asked.

"I don't think we have a choice," Gobo said. "If they leave, they might take Wembley with them. And something tells me if we wait too long, it's going to be too late, right, Sprocket?"

Sprocket whimpered and nodded his head. That was all Gobo needed to know. He jumped out of the car, and began to head for the building. Nevada ran after him, and grabbed his shoulder before he could get far.

"Hold it there!" he shouted. "You can't go up there by yourself! How're ya gonna get in?"

"You can't just knock on the door, you know," Red said.

"We could climb up the side of the building," Mokey said. "Look over there! Doozer sticks!"

"That's the fire escape, Mokey," Nevada explained. "And that's a _great_ idea!"

"Uh oh . . . ." Jerry said, suddenly. "Watch it you guys, one of 'em just came out!"

Sure enough, Shifty had exited the apartment building, empty handed, however. Gobo and Red ducked behind Nevada so they wouldn't be seen. Nevada turned away and tried to act nonchalant, but it wasn't easy. Nevada looked out of the corner of his eye, and watched as Shifty climbed into the pickup, started it up, and drove off.

"This makes it a little easier," Nevada said, heaving a sigh.

"Yeah, we only have one Silly Creature to deal with now," Red said. "Let's go, everybody!"

"Wait a minute!" Boober shouted. "Don't you think this might be too dangerous? We could get caught! Or worse yet, killed!"

"He's got a point," Nevada said. "Jerry, why don't you stay down here, and have the car ready for a quick getaway, just in case somethin' should go wrong."

"You got it, Nev," Jerry said. Sprocket jumped into the backseat as well. He was through with being a hero.

"I'll stay here, too," Boober said. "Where it's safe. I mean, to keep Jerry and what's-his-name-the-hairy-beast company."

"Sure, Boober," Red said, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, you guys! Time's a-wasting!" Gobo shouted.

And with that, Nevada, Gobo, Red, and Mokey got to work climbing the fire escape. It wasn't easy, since they had to go four flights up, but they managed to make it. When they reached the fourth floor, the three Fraggles peered into the windows, just to make sure they had the right apartment.

"Here it is!" Red called (but not too loudly).

"You sure?" Gobo asked, looking into the window himself.

"Have I ever been wrong?" Red asked.

"Yes," Gobo said. "But this time, you're right. That's definitely Wembley in that cage."

"Yeah, and Jerry was right," Red said. "He _does_ look terrible!"

"Poor Wembley," Mokey said, looking through the window herself. "Uh oh, someone's coming!"

"Hide!" Nevada hissed, and he and the three Fraggles scrambled down one story of the fire escape to avoid being seen by Max, who came over to open the window.

"It's hot in here," he grumbled. "We gotta get a place with an air conditioner."

Gobo climbed back up onto the fourth floor and peeked into the window. He managed to see Max flop on an old couch, and go to sleep. Then he motioned for the others to come up.

"He went to sleep," he said.

"Good," Nevada said. "All we gotta do is get this screen out of the way."

Nevada reached into his pocket and pulled out his old scout knife. He activated the blade and slowly began to cut away the screen. Then, he and the other Fraggles quietly slipped inside.

"I hope we don't get caught," Nevada said. "It would ruin my reputation if I was busted for breakin' and enterin'."

"It's for a good cause, though," Gobo whispered. "We're rescuing someone being held against his will."

Nevada nodded, and he and the three Fraggles walked over to Wembley's cage, which was sitting on a counter. While Nevada contemplated the lock, Gobo reached inside the cage, grabbed Wembley's shoulder, and shook it.

"Wembley?" he asked. "Come on, buddy, wake up. It's me, Gobo."

"Go . . . . bo?" Wembley asked, slowly. He opened his eyes, and slowly turned his head toward his friend's voice. Even though his vision was blurry, he was able to make out the form of his best friend.

"Gobo!" he shouted, somehow finding the energy to jump up, reach through the bars, and grab the orange Fraggle in the biggest hug he could muster. "Oh, Gobo, I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

"Shhh!" Gobo hissed. "Quiet, Wembley."

"Yeah, we don't want to wake up sleepin' beauty over there," Nevada said.

"Nevada!" Wembley shouted, though in a much quieter tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Gobo recruited me to help him and the others find you," Nevada explained. It was then he noticed the collar around Wembley's neck. "Did those creeps actually lock that on your neck?"

"Yeah," Wembley said. "I can't get it off, and it's really starting to hurt."

"Sit tight, kiddo," Nevada said, taking out his scout knife again. "I'm gonna have to pull on it in order to have room to cut it off, so I might wind up chokin' you a little bit, but I don't want to cut you with the knife, okay?"

"Okay," Wembley said, as he walked closer to Nevada. He trusted the human explorer completely.

Nevada took the collar, pulled a bit, activated the blade on his knife, slipped it carefully underneath the leather part it, and slid the knife upward, slicing the collar off. Wembley heaved a huge sigh of relief, and began rubbing his sore neck. Since Shifty had yanked him around with the leash so much, the collar had left the green Fraggle with a mild case of collar burn.

"Oh, Wembley, you poor thing!" Mokey gasped, once she saw the red ring around Wembley's neck.

"Those creeps!" Red shouted. "I'd like to get my hands on them!"

Wembley then reached through the bars, and hugged Gobo again.

"Gobo, I'm sorry I ran away," he said. "I'll never do it again, I promise!"

"It's okay, Wembley," Gobo said, returning his best friend's hug. "I'm sorry I got so mad at you over wanting to go into Outer Space to look for Nevada. It was a dumb thing to get angry over. I think I was just a little jealous because I thought you liked him more than me."

"Really?" Wembley asked. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Gobo. I didn't mean to."

"Yeah, I know you didn't," Gobo said.

Wembley coughed then. He felt terrible. He let out a long moan, and practically sank to his knees. Gobo sat next to him, reached through the bars, and began to stroke Wembley's hair, to calm him down.

"It's okay, Wembley," he said. "Everything's going to be all right. You just rest now. Just take it easy, eh? We're going to get you out of there, and back home."

"Okay," Wembley said, and then he let out another moan, and coughed a little.

"Somethin' wrong, Gobo?" Nevada asked.

"He feels hot," Gobo said. "I think he might have a fever."

"You're right," Mokey said, placing her hand against Wembley's forehead. "He looks half starved, too."

"Poor little guy," Nevada said.

"We gotta get him out of here, but how?" Red asked. "This isn't like a normal Gorg cage. There's no latch to open."

"No, this sucker's padlocked," Nevada said, tugging on the lock.

"Can't you use your knife to cut it or something?" Gobo asked.

"Not if it's steel," Nevada said. "We're gonna need the key."

"Mr. Max has the keys," Wembley said, pointing over to the couch.

Nevada and the Fraggles turned to look, and saw that Max had a ring full of keys clutched in his hand while he slept, snoring loudly.

"This isn't going to be as easy as I thought," Red said. Then she climbed off the counter, and tiptoed over to Max as quietly as she could.

"Careful, Red," Gobo said.

"Don't worry, Gobo," Red said. "I know what I'm doing."

Red crept over to the key ring, and grabbed it. She tried to pull it away, but Max kept pulling it back toward him, gripping it tightly. Red gave them one good yank, but Max held firm, and the keys clattered together. Nevada, Mokey, and Gobo tensed up, afraid that Max was going to wake up. Thankfully, he didn't, and everyone heaved sighs of relief.

"Now what?" Red asked.

"I have an idea," Nevada whispered.

Nevada tiptoed over to the table, where a pile of money sat. He picked up one of the bills, and tiptoed over to Max. He took a deep breath, bit his lower lip, and began tickling Max's nose with it. The Fraggles drew in their breath, waiting for something to happen (and hoping Max wouldn't wake up). Max's wrist began to twitch, and Red got ready to catch the keyring. Finally, Max let go of the keyring, and Red caught it before it could hit the floor. Unfortunately, the keys clattered together. Everyone froze, and waited, but luckily, Max stayed asleep.

"Oh boy," Gobo said, rolling his eyes.

" _Shew_!" Mokey breathed, putting her hand over her heart. She could practically feel it beating in her throat.

Red and Nevada tiptoed back to the cage. Red handed Nevada the keyring, and immediately, he began sticking keys in the lock.

"Wonder why there are so many keys on that thing," Red said.

"Beats me," Nevada said, pulling back one key, and trying the next one. "I hope this doesn't take all day."

"I hope it doesn't, either," Gobo said. "The other one could come back any minute."

Nevada nodded, and continued trying keys. Finally, he found the one that fit the lock, turned it and opened it. Unfortunately, the minute the lock opened, so did the front door, and Shifty walked in.

"What the heck?!" he shouted when he saw Nevada and the other Fraggles at the cage. "Max! Wake up, you moron!"

"Uh oh . . . ." Mokey said, nervously.

"Huh?" Max asked, waking up. He looked around, and realized he didn't have the keyring anymore.

"You nitwit!" Shifty shouted, hitting Max with his hat. "You let somebody break in here!

"Sorry, boss," Max said. "I didn't think . . . ."

"Never mind!" Shifty shouted. "Grab the loot! We're taking this show on the road!"

"Not if I can help it, buster!" Nevada shouted. He jumped up, and tackled Shifty to the ground. "You guys take care of the other one!"

"CHARGE!" Gobo yelled, making a flying leap, and diving on top of Max's shoulders.

"Yahooooo!" Red yelled, and she ran and grabbed Max around his left leg.

"Yaaaaahhhh!" Mokey shouted, and she grabbed Max around his right leg.

"Get offa me, you rejects from a teddy bear factory!" Max shouted, trying to pack up the money, as well as shake the three Fraggles off of him.

"Never!" Gobo shouted.

Max began stumbling around, and ended up backing into the wall, slamming Gobo against it as hard as he could. Gobo immediately saw stars, lost his grip on Max, and fell to the floor.

 _WHAM!_

"Gobo!" both Mokey and Red shouted. That gave Max a chance to shake them off, causing them to go flying into another wall.

 _CRASH!_

The girls were left seeing stars, and hearing birds as well.

"Oh, look at the pretty flying things," Mokey said, dazedly.

The crashing Fraggles distracted Nevada's attention from keeping Shifty down. The minute he could, Shifty grabbed Nevada's shirt collar, stood up, and socked the explorer right in the jaw, knocking him to the floor, as well as knocking the wind right out of him. Shifty then grabbed the cage, relocked the padlock, and headed for the door.

"Let's get outta here, Max!" he shouted.

By this time, the three Fraggles had gotten their senses back, but the crooks were on their way out the door.

"We've got to do something!" Mokey shouted.

"Yeah, or we'll never see Wembley again!" Red shouted.

"I've got an idea!" Gobo shouted. He ran after the crooks, and jumped at them, but all he managed to do was grab onto the bottom of Wembley's cage, and hold on. By that time, Nevada came to.

"After them!" he shouted, and he and the two female Fraggles ran after Shifty and Max.

The two crooks didn't even notice Gobo hanging off the cage. Shifty just slammed the cage into the back of the truck, and climbed into the cab, followed by Max, who was carrying a satchel full of money. Max started up the truck, and peeled out so fast, he left tread marks on the street. Nevada, Red, and Mokey made it out of the building just in time to see the truck take off. They raced over to Jerry's car as fast as they could.

"Follow that truck!" Nevada shouted. "And don't spare the horse power!"

"Where's Gobo?" Boober asked.

"In the bad guy's truck," Red said, as she and Mokey climbed into the car.

"Buckle up your seatbelts, guys," Nevada said.

"Buckle up our seatbelts?" Boober asked. "Why? And further more, whats a seat . . . . _aaaaahhhhh_!"

Boober didn't get a chance to finish that question. Jerry had slammed the gas pedal and took off like a shot after the truck. Boober went flying backwards, and ended up plastered against the rear windshield.

" _That's_ why," Nevada said.

"Oooohhh . . . ." Boober moaned, as he slid off the windshield.

"Put the pedal to the metal, Jer," Nevada said. "We've gotta catch up with that truck, pronto!"

"I don't think we need to worry about catching the bad guys, Nevada," Mokey said. "After all, Gobo can let Wembley out of that cage, and then they'll manage to escape."

"There's just one problem with that, Mokey," Nevada said.

"What's that?" Mokey asked.

"I still have the key that unlocks the cage," Nevada said.

"Punch it, Jerry!" Mokey shouted.

Jerry pushed the gas pedal down farther. The chase was officially on.


	20. High Speed Chase

The ride in the back of the old pickup truck was a bumpy one. Wembley had gotten used to it, but it still made him feel a little sick to his stomach. Gobo was having a hard time staying on his feet.

"Don't worry, Wembley!" he shouted. "I'll get you out of that cage!"

Gobo then began to dig through all the pockets he had, trying to find the keys to the cage, when he suddenly remembered.

"Oh, rats!" he groaned. "I forgot! Nevada has the key!"

"What are we gonna do now, Gobo?" Wembley asked.

"Get these guys to stop this thing so the others have a chance to catch up with us, that's what!"

Gobo saw that the truck's cab had a window in the back of it, just big enough for a Fraggle to fit into. He opened it, and crawled into the cab. The two crooks didn't even notice, at least not until Gobo jumped on Shifty, and grabbed him around the neck.

"Gotcha!" he shouted.

"Aaaahhh!" Shifty shouted, definitely surprised.

Shifty wound up letting go of the steering wheel, and the truck began swerving. It was a good thing they were driving on a backroad, or else it would have been a bigger disaster than it already was.

"Boss, take the wheel! Take the wheeeeeellll!" Max shouted.

"I can't!" Shifty shouted. "Not with this orange furball on me!"

"Who're you calling a furball, you scumbag?!" Gobo shouted, and he bit down on Shifty's ear.

"Aaarrrggghhhh!" Shifty shouted, and tried his best to pull Gobo off of him.

"That's for hurting Wembley!" Gobo shouted again.

By that time, Red, Mokey, Boober, and their friends managed to catch up with the truck, but they noticed how erratically it was driving.

"What's going on in there?" Jerry asked.

"Looks like Large Marvin's attempt at steering a beanbarrow with Feenie navigating," Red said.

"Keep on 'em, Jerry," Nevada said.

"Right," Jerry said.

Back at the truck, Max grabbed the steering wheel, and managed to take control of the truck then. Shifty hit the brakes hard, causing all three of the passengers to jerk forward for a moment. Gobo was a little surprised at this, and loosened his grip. Shifty managed to grab him by the back of his shirt collar, and yank him off his back. Then he opened his window, started the truck up again, took off, and threw the orange Fraggle out of the truck.

"Yiiiiiiiiikes!" Gobo shouted, as he flew threw the air.

" _Gobo_!" Red screamed, horrifically, as she saw the orange Fraggle fly out the window of the truck, crash to the ground, and roll around on the street.

"The brakes, Jerry! Hit the brakes!" Nevada shouted.

Jerry slammed on the brakes as hard as he could, and his car screeched to a halt, and everyone jerked forward, except for Boober. He flew across the car, and slammed into the front windshield.

 _SPLAT!_

"I can see why you call them safety belts," he said, dazedly. "Oooooohhh . . . . ."

Nevada and Red raced out of the car, and over to Gobo, looking him over for any injuries.

"Gobo, are you all right?!" Red shouted, worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Gobo said, shaking his head to regain his composure. "A little bruised maybe, but nothing serious."

"Thank goodness!" Red shouted. "I was afraid you were hurt!"

"Yeah, me too," Nevada said, picking up the orange Fraggle. "Come on, we've gotta catch up to that truck!"

Once back at Jerry's car, the chase continued. The truck had a pretty good lead, but our heroes were closing in fast.

"Faster, Jerry, faster!" Red shouted.

"I've got it floored now!" Jerry shouted.

"Wait a minute, I've got an idea!" Gobo shouted. "Fling the Fraggle!"

"This is no time for games, Gobo!" Boober shouted.

"I'm not thinking about games!" Gobo shouted. "It's the only way one of us is going to be able to get to that truck! Give me the key, Nevada!"

"You don't expect me to fling you to the truck out an open window, do you?" Nevada asked. "Because that's just plain suicide, Gobo!"

"No, I don't want you to do that, Nevada!" Gobo shouted.

"Good," Nevada said.

"I need you get out the top of the car and fling me from there," Gobo said.

" _WHAT_?!" everyone else screamed, looking at Gobo as if he were out of his mind.

"It's the only way," Gobo said. "I can't jump that far without a boost, and Nevada's the only one who's strong enough to do it!"

"How do you expect to get back here?" Red asked.

"Jump, how else?" Gobo asked. "Get as close to the truck as you can once I've made it, Jerry."

"No, Gobo, I think it'll be better if we wait until the truck stops," Jerry said.

"But we might lose them that way!" Gobo argued.

"Gobo, it's too dangerous!" Boober shouted.

"For once, I'm with Boober," Red said. "What if you don't make it? You could get hurt, or worse yet, killed!"

"A Fraggle's gotta do, what a Fraggle's gotta do!" Gobo shouted.

"Nevada, you're not really going to do this, are you?" Mokey asked.

Nevada bit his lower lip, and swallowed hard. He'd never done anything like this before, but he knew they had to get Wembley away from those two crooks as soon as possible.

"Open the sun roof, Jerry," he said, giving Gobo the key to unlock the cage.

"You gotta be kidding!" Jerry shouted.

"Just do it!" Nevada said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

Jerry sighed, and pushed a button to open the car's sunroof. Nevada took Gobo, and held him in the crook of his arm as he stood up, and climbed through. Then, he slowly made his way down to the hood, and slid forward until he was able to stand on the front bumper. He made some quick mental calculations, and held Gobo tightly.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked.

"Positive!" Gobo shouted.

"Okay," Nevada said. He took a deep breath, and began to swing Gobo back and forth between his legs. "On the count of three, I'll fling you, okay? You got the key?"

"I got it," Gobo said. "Fling when ready!"

"Okay," Nevada said, nervously. "One . . . . two . . . . three . . . . _fling!_ "

Nevada flung Gobo as hard as he could. The orange Fraggle flew through the air, and landed in the bed of the pickup, right on target. Nevada nearly passed out, and sat down on the hood of the car. He felt like his stomach had dropped out. Then he knocked on the windshield to get Jerry's attention.

"Floor it!" he shouted.

Jerry rolled his eyes. He already _had_ the gas pedal floored. If he pushed any harder, it would be through the floor board. But he knew he had to speed it up in order to catch the truck.

Meanwhile, Gobo took out the key, unlocked the padlock, and opened the door.

"Come on, Wembley!" he shouted, helping the green Fraggle to his feet. "We've got to jump!"

"Jump?!" Wembley shouted. "I don't know about this, Gobo!"

"It's the only way to get out of here," Gobo said. "Look, there's Nevada right there. He'll catch us, I promise!"

"Okay, Gobo, if you're sure," Wembley said, though he still had his doubts.

Gobo climbed up to the edge of the truck bed, counted to three, and made a flying leap toward Jerry's car. Nevada caught him in mid-air.

"Gotcha!" he shouted. "Okay, Wembley, you're turn!"

"Come on, buddy, you can do it!" Gobo encouraged.

Wembley gulped, and tried to climb up to the edge of the truck bed like Gobo had, but he suddenly froze. He was far too scared to do this, and he wasn't sure he had the strength.

"Wembley, come _on_!" Red shouted, impatiently.

"I think he might be too weak to make it," Mokey said, nervously.

As if things couldn't get worse, Max looked into the truck's rearview mirror, and happened to see what was going on.

"Hey, boss, our meal ticket's out of his cage and trying to escape," he said.

"Well, then stop him, you idiot!" Shifty shouted. "I'm trying to drive!"

Max nodded, and noticed the cab's rear window had been opened. He unbuckled his seat belt, reached out, and grabbed Wembley by the tail, since it was in reach.

"Aaaah!" Wembley shouted, as he was being pulled back toward the truck's cab.

"You're not going anywhere, squirt!" Max shouted.

"Wembley!" Gobo shouted. "Fling me again, Nevada, I'll stop them, and jump back with Wembley!"

"No, it's too dangerous for you to try that," Nevada said. "You'll be too heavy if you jump together, and you might not make it far enough. I'll go get him."

"You must've done this before, eh?"

"Never. I have _never_ jumped from a movin' vehicle in my entire life."

"Wow, you're one brave Silly Creature."

"Are you kiddin'? I'm petrified! But you know when you said a Fraggle's gotta do what a Fraggle's gotta do?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

"I still think you're very brave to do this, Nevada. Good luck!"

"Thanks."

Gobo gave Nevada a hug, for good luck. Nevada put Gobo down on the hood of the car, and gave him a thumb's up, then prepared to jump.

"Nevada, are you _nuts_?!" Jerry shouted.

"Just keep driving!" Gobo shouted, hanging onto the hood for dear life. "Nevada knows what he's doing!"

"Kids, don't try this at home," Nevada said.

Nevada bent his knees as far as he could, and jumped as hard as he could over to the truck. Since the truck was bigger than Jerry's car, Nevada didn't quite make it into the truck bed, but he did manage to land on the rear bumper, and grab the edge of the bed. He pulled himself into the bed, and heaved a sigh of relief.

"I never _ever_ want to do _that_ again!" he shouted.

Nevada took a deep breath, and crawled over to the cab of the truck, where Wembley was trying to avoid being yanked inside. Wembley didn't know how much longer he'd be able to hold on to the sides of the window. Max had let go of his tail, and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Let go, you little punk!" he shouted.

"No, _you_ let go, you big goon!" Nevada shouted, standing up, and stomping on Max's hand as hard as he could.

"Yeouch!" Max shouted, letting go of Wembley, and retracting his hand.

"Nevada!" Wembley shouted. "Oh boy, am I glad you're here!"

"So am I," Nevada said, as he scooped up the green Fraggle in his arms. "Now, hold on to me as tight as you can, because we are gonna have to make a jump for it."

"But isn't that dangerous?"

"Extremely. But it's the only way out of this mess!"

Wembley nodded, and wrapped his arms around Nevada's neck, tightly enough to feel secure, but loose enough not to choke Nevada. The others waited nervously.

"Come _on_ , Nevada!" Red shouted, impatiently. "What's he waiting for?!"

"I don't think I can watch!" Boober shouted, burying his face in Sprocket's fur. Sprocket whimpered, and covered his eyes with his paws.

"Oh dear . . . ." Mokey said, and she began biting her nails (do Fraggles even have fingernails?)

Jerry bit his lower lip hard, and moaned nervously. His heart was practically beating in his throat.

"You can do it, Nevada!" Gobo shouted, trying to sound, encouraging. "I know you can!"

Nevada took several deep breaths. He wasn't sure he could do this.

"Whoa boy . . . ." he said. He tried to make a couple of jumps, but wound up chickening out.

"I know you can do it, Nevada," Wembley said.

"That's the thing," Nevada said. " _I_ don't think I can do this! I don't think I've ever been this scared in my life!"

"You mean you're scared?"

"Petrified is a better word for it."

"But you jumped from there to here! You can jump from here to there!"

"I know, and I was scared to do that, too! I don't know if I can do it again, Wembley!"

"Sure you can, Nevada! If you've done it before, you can do it again. I believe in you."

Nevada was about to argue with this, when he felt Wembley's grip suddenly loosen.

"Wembley, you okay?" Nevada asked.

Wembley didn't answer. Nevada looked at him, and noticed that he had passed out, most likely from using too much energy. There was no time for indecision.

"It's now, or never," Nevada said.

Nevada took a deep breath, mentally counted to three, and jumped. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Then, Nevada landed, his feet hitting the bumper of Jerry's car. Immediately, Nevada leaned forward and managed to plant one of his hands on the hood. He had made it.

"YES!" Jerry shouted, as he eased up on the gas pedal, and shifted to the brake, in order to slow the car down.

"He did it!" Red shouted. "He did it, he did it!"

"He did it?" Boober asked, and then he fainted.

"Hooray!" Mokey cheered.

"I knew you could do it, Nevada!" Gobo shouted.

Once Jerry stopped the car, Nevada climbed off, and onto solid ground again. Red, Mokey, Jerry, and Sprocket ran out of the car, all talking at once.

"I can't believe you actually did that, Nev," Jerry said. "I thought I was gonna have a heart attack!"

"To tell you the truth, so did I!" Nevada shouted.

While our heroes were celebrating, Max swatted Shifty's shoulder.

"Turn around, boss!" he shouted. "They got away!"

"What?!" Shifty shouted, turning around to look, and taking his hands off the steering wheel in the process.

"Look out, boss!" Max shouted, pointing forward.

"For what?" Shifty asked, turning back around.

Unfortunately, there was no time to do anything, as the pickup truck crashed right into a tree.

 _CRASH!_

Shifty and Max weren't hurt in the crash, but they were a little dazed. Sirens filled the air just then. Nevada looked, groaned, and made a face.

"Uh oh," he said. "A couple of motorcycle cops."

"Yipe!" Sprocket shouted, jumping into the backseat.

"You guys better hide," Jerry said to the Fraggles.

"Give me a hand, Jer," Nevada said, trying to take off his jacket, while shifting Wembley so he was laying against Nevada's shoulder.

Gobo, Red, and Mokey dove into the backseat, and hid behind Sprocket. Jerry helped Nevada take off his jacket. Once it was off. Nevada placed his jacket over the shoulder Wembley was leaning against, covering him from view. By that time, two state troopers on motorcycles came by. One stopped at Jerry's car, and the other drove up to the truck wreck.

"Going a little fast there, weren't you?" the officer asked.

"Well . . . ." Jerry said. "It all depends on what you count as fast."

"I count what you were doing as fast," the officer said. "I also noticed your friend there taking a flying leap off that truck. Don't you realize how dangerous that is?"

"Yes, officer, sir," Nevada admitted. "I know. But it was for a good reason. See those guys in the truck there are crooks, and I was only tryin' to . . . ."

Jerry nudged Nevada in the ribs before he said too much. Nevada got the point right away.

"Crooks, huh?" the officer asked. "What kind of crooks?"

"Animal cruelty," Nevada said.

"You got proof?" the officer asked.

"Well . . . ." Nevada said.

"Uhhhh . . . ." Jerry said.

Sprocket then began to mess up his fur, trying to make it look disheveled. Then he snuck out of the backseat of the car, snuck over to the site of the truck wreck, rolled around in the dirt, and then lay flat on his back. He began howling and moaning so loudly, it definitely got everyone's attention and they ran over.

"This proof enough for ya?" Nevada asked.

"Hey, Frank," the other officer said, "you know who was driving this truck?"

"Who, Dave?" the officer asked.

"Shifty Gambell and Max Schill," Dave said. "Wanted fraud, illegal gambling, counterfeiting, extortion, double parking . . . ."

"And looks like we can add animal cruelty to the list," Frank said. "By the looks of that poor dog back there."

Sprocket gave a pitiful howl, and pretended to faint. Frank and Dave pulled Shifty and Max out of the wreckage, and slapped the cuffs on them. Then Dave went to his motorcycle to call for backup, since they couldn't take Shifty and Max in on their motorcycles.

"See, that's why I was going so fast, officer," Jerry said. "We were trying to catch up with them, because that's my grandfather's dog."

"Yeah, his faithful companion, you know," Nevada said.

"Okay, you're free to go," Frank said. "But I'd better not catch you going that fast again."

"You got it, officer," Jerry said.

Frank nodded, pulled something off his notepad, gave it to Jerry, and then left.

"What's that?" Nevada asked, as he, Jerry, and Sprocket headed back to the car.

"A speeding ticket," Jerry said, groaning.

"Sorry about that, Jer," Nevada said.

"Is everything okay?" Red asked, as Nevada, Jerry, and Sprocket climbed into the car.

"Almost," Nevada said, taking his jacket off Wembley, who was still out like a light. "Wembley's not lookin' too good here."

"We'd better get Wembley back to Fraggle Rock," Gobo said. "And fast!"

"But not too fast," Jerry said. "I don't want to get stopped for another speeding ticket."

"What's a speeding ticket?" Red asked.

"I'll explain later," Nevada said. "To the park, Jerry!"

"Right," Jerry said, and drove off as fast as he legally could without getting another ticket.


	21. Fever

Once Jerry got to the park, he let out Nevada and the Fraggles, and then drove back to Doc's. When they reached the cave, they found a bit of a reception committee waiting for them. Large Marvin, Feenie, and Lou were standing at the entrance.

"Here they come!" Feenie shouted.

"Did you find Wembley?" Large Marvin asked.

"Yeah, thank goodness," Gobo said. "Stand back, everybody, we've got one sick Fraggle on our hands."

Large Marvin, Feenie, and Lou stood back to let the other Fraggles and Nevada in. Then they followed the group into the Great Hall. Nevada sat down cross-legged, still carrying Wembley.

"Wow, he looks really bad," Feenie said.

"Boober, you'd better get cooking," Gobo said. "And I mean that literally!"

"Right," Boober said. "What should I make?"

"Nothin' too heavy," Nevada said. "I doubt Wembley's stomach is gonna be able to take too much food too soon. That could make him sicker than he already is."

"Some soup should be okay," Mokey said.

"As long as it doesn't have anythin' solid in it," Nevada said.

"I've got a good recipe for radish broth," Boober said. "I'll whip some up right away!"

With that, Boober ran off to his kitchen. The others were trying to revive Wembley, but nothing they did seemed to work.

"Wait a minute, I've got an idea," Nevada said. "Except I need somethin' from my first aid kit."

"I'll go up and see if Jerry's back yet," Gobo said. "What do you need?"

"Tell him I need the smellin' salts," Nevada said. "He knows what that is."

Gobo nodded, and headed for the tunnel to Outer Space. He returned about fifteen minutes later, with what looked like a couple of wrapped up sticks.

"Are these it?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks, Gobo," Nevada said, laying Wembley on his lap while he took the smelling salts from Gobo.

"Doesn't look like salt to me," Red said.

"Well, they aren't really," Nevada said, shrugging, as he cracked one of the sticks. "It's ammonia and alcohol. Beats me why they call them smellin' salts, though. Stand back, guys."

Nevada took the stick, and waved it under Wembley's nose. Wembley coughed, and began to come around.

"Hey, it worked!" Red shouted, taking the stick from Nevada. "What's it smell like?"

"Red, don't!" Nevada warned, but it was too late. Red took a whiff, and she began coughing, too.

"Ooooh, that smells _terr_ ible!" she groaned.

"I told you not too," Nevada said.

"Ooohhhhh . . . ." Wembley moaned. "Where am I?"

"Back in Fraggle Rock, safe and sound," Mokey said.

"How're you feelin', little guy?" Nevada asked.

"Not too good," Wembley said, coughing.

"Don't worry, Wembley," Boober said, coming into the Great Hall with a bowl of soup. "This should make you feel a little better."

Wembley reached for the spoon that was laying in the bowl, but he was so weak, he could barely even lift his arm. Nevada sighed, raised Wembley's head with his arm so he wouldn't choke, took the spoon, and began feeding it to the green Fraggle.

"There ya go," he said. "How's that?"

"Good," Wembley said. "Thanks, Nevada. Thanks, Boober."

"You're welcome," Boober said.

Nevada slowly fed Wembley as much of the soup as he felt was necessary. He didn't want to give him too much too soon. Once he was finished eating, Wembley yawned, and started to fall asleep.

"We'd better get him to bed," Mokey said.

"You'd better take it from here," Nevada said. "I'm too tall to get into the caves you use for your bedrooms."

Nevada was about to hand over Wembley to Mokey, when Wembley began to squirm a little.

"Noooo . . . ." he moaned. "No, I want to stay with Nevada!"

"But, Wembley, I'm sure you'd be much more comfortable in your own bed," Mokey said.

"No, I want to stay with Nevada," Wembley repeated. "Please, let me stay out here."

"Well, if that's what you want, Wembley, okay," Gobo said, and he started to leave, but Wembley reached out, and grabbed his hand before he could go.

"Wait, Gobo, wait!" he shouted. "I . . . . I want you to stay, too. I want both of you. Please don't leave now, Gobo!"

"It's okay, Wembley," Gobo said. "I'll stay here with you. I'm not going anywhere."

Wembley smiled, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

"Looks like we're not going anywhere for awhile, eh, Nevada?" Gobo asked.

"Apparently not," Nevada said.

About an hour later, Wembley began moaning, loudly. The other Fraggles ran over to see what the problem was.

"What's the matter, Wembley?" Gobo asked.

"Too hot . . . ." Wembley moaned. "It's too hot, Gobo . . . ."

"Oops," Gobo said. "I forgot about his fever. Don't worry, Wembley, we'll take care of this."

"Eeesh," Boober said, looking over Wembley. "No wonder he feels bad. I'd feel bad too if I were covered in dirt and dust and grime. Look at this, his fur is all matted, and his hair is greasy, and look at his shirt! It's going to take me forever to get it clean! I love laundry challenges!"

"Good idea, Boober," Mokey said. "We'll give Wembley a nice, hot bath, and maybe he'll feel a little better once he's all cleaned up."

"Not a good idea there, Mokey," Nevada said. "If we do that, we might end up inadvertently raisin' his temperature."

"Then maybe we should try a cold bath," Red said, as she held Wembley in an upright position while Gobo took off his banana tree shirt.

"That's no good, either," Boober said. "That could cause shivering, which might also drive his temperature up."

"We'll have to do it somewhere in between then," Gobo said. "Right?"

"Right," both Nevada and Boober said in unison.

"You leave it to me," Boober said. "I'll take care of everything."

"Of course, Boober," Mokey said. "After all, you're the expert on sickness around here."

Boober cracked his knuckles, and then got started. He and Gobo went to get a large tub the Fraggles used as a bathtub, since the water in the Fraggle pond was much too cold to be used as bathwater. Then Boober went to go heat some water on his stove, and get some soap. Mokey went to find some washcloths and a towel, Gobo went back to his and Wembley's cave to get Wembley's pajamas, and Red went to find a blanket.

"How're you holding up, Wembley?" Gobo asked, once he returned.

"Soooo hoooot . . . ." Wembley moaned, then he began coughing.

"Poor little thing," Mokey said, gently rubbing Wembley's cheek with her finger.

"Okay, this should be the right temperature," Boober said, checking the water with his elbow. "Let's get started."

Nevada managed to untwist his legs, and crawl over to the washtub. He gently placed Wembley into the lukewarm water, and held him still while the others cleaned him up. Wembley was so out of it, he couldn't even sit himself up. Boober had to go back and forth to add more clean water to the bath because Wembley was so dirty due to his time spent in Outer Space. Suddenly, Gobo began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Red asked, scrubbing Wembley's hair to get all the grease out.

"Oh, nothing," Gobo said. "I was just thinking back to when I was a really little Fraggle, and Uncle Matt tried to give me a bath. He could never do it without singing 'Muck and Goo' to me."

"What's 'Muck and Goo'?" Nevada asked.

"Should we tell him?" Gobo asked.

"No," Red said. "Let's show him!"

And with that, Red began singing.

 _Red: Give me one and give me two_

 _Cover me with muck and goo_

 _Gobo: Give me three and give me four_

 _Cover me with guck and gore_

 _Both: One, two, muck and goo_

 _Down my sock and in my shoe_

 _Three, four, guck and gore_

 _Spin me 'round and sing some more_

 _Mokey: Give me five and give me six_

 _Cover me with big, fat sticks_

 _Boober: Give me seven, give me eight_

 _Cover me with slime and slate_

 _Both: Five, six and big, fat sticks_

 _An ice cream cone for me to lick_

 _Seven, eight, slime and slate_

 _Sing it now and don't be late_

 _Red: Give me, give me number nine_

 _Gobo: A bag of bones and a ball of twine_

 _Mokey: Give me, give me number ten_

 _Boober: Run back home and start again_

 _All: Nine, nine, a ball of twine_

 _First it's yours and then it's mine_

 _Ten, ten, that's the end_

 _So run back home and start again_

 _Run back home and start again_

Nevada laughed at the silly song. He wanted to applaud, but he couldn't, not without dropping Wembley.

"That was great, you guys," he said. "Not much of a bath time song, though, considerin' the use of the words muck and goo, though."

"Well, Uncle Matt pretended the soap was the muck, and the water was the goo," Gobo said. "It might not make much sense, but it got me clean in the end."

"Yeah, I guess parents do what they have to do to get their kids clean," Nevada said. "I hated takin' a bath. My mother had to sing to me in the bathtub when I was really little, too."

"Really?" Gobo asked. "I thought you said your grandfather taught you everything you know. I assumed that he raised you, like my Uncle Matt raised me."

"Oh no," Nevada said. "My mom and dad are still alive. And it's true, my grandfather _did_ teach me all I know about explorin' and he taught me a lot of songs. I spent every summer with my grandparents."

"What did your mother used to sing to you at bath time, Nevada?" Mokey asked. "Did she make it up, like we make up our songs?"

"No, she got it from an old kid's TV show," Nevada said. "The song's called 'Rubber Duckie'."

"Rubber Duckie?" Red said, with a giggle. "That sounds funny. How's it go?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Nevada said.

 _Nevada: Rubber Duckie you're the one_

 _You make bath time lots of fun_

 _Rubber Duckie I'm awfully fond of you_

 _Boober: Voh-voh-voh-dee-oh_

 _Nevada: Rubber Duckie joy of joys_

 _When I squeeze you, you make noise_

 _Rubber Duckie you're my very best friend it's true_

 _Everyday when I make my way to the tubby_

 _I find a little fellow who's cute and yellow and chubby_

 _Gobo: Rub a dub dubby_

 _Nevada: Rubber Duckie you're so fine_

 _And I'm lucky that you're mine_

 _Rubber Duckie I'd like a whole pond of_

 _Rubber Duckie I'm awfully fond of you_

Gobo, Red, Mokey, and Boober cheered and applauded. Nevada took a couple of bows, and then inspected Wembley for anymore signs of dirt, dust, grime, and filth.

"Okay, I think that about does it," he said.

"Boy, he really _was_ a mess," Boober said, looking at the tub. "Just look at this water!"

"Yeah, I'm surprised he didn't get fleas!" Red shouted.

"Oooh, then that _would_ be a nightmare!" Boober shuddered. "Poor Wembley would be sick with malaria!"

"Knock it off, Boober," Gobo said.

"Nevada, do you think you could empty this?" Boober asked. "I'm kind of afraid to touch it. We've never gotten the bathtub as dirty as this before."

"Sure, just give me a minute," Nevada said, as he wrapped Wembley in the towel Mokey handed him to dry him off.

"Do you feel any better now that you're all nice and clean, Wembley?" Mokey asked.

"A little bit," Wembley said, hoarsely.

"Throat still hurt?" Gobo asked. Wembley nodded. It was getting so that it hurt too much to talk.

"I'll take care of that," Boober said. "After I show Nevada where to dump the bathwater."

Nevada nodded, and sat Wembley down against the cave wall, picked up the bathtub, and followed Boober down a tunnel. Mokey held him up while Gobo helped him put on his pajamas.

"How's that, Wembley?" Gobo asked.

"Better," Wembley said, resting his head on Gobo's lap. "It's not so hot anymore."

"Good," Gobo said, though Wembley still felt feverish to him.

"Is Nevada coming back?" Wembley asked.

"Yeah, he'll be back in a minute," Red said, taking the blanket she brought out and covering Wembley with it. "He just went with Boober to empty the bathtub."

"You just rest now," Mokey said. "Would you like a little more soup?"

Wembley nodded, and Mokey went to get a fresh batch of hot radish broth. Red got a cup of water, and Gobo raised the green Fraggle into a reclining position so he wouldn't choke.

"There you go, Wembley," Red said, pouring the water down Wembley's throat. "We've got to keep you hydrated."

"Just don't let him have too much," Gobo said. "Nevada said that he could develop something called refeeding syndrome, and that could make him sicker than he already is."

Red nodded. Mokey returned with a bowl of radish broth. After the first spoonful, Wembley heaved a sigh of relief. The hot broth felt very soothing against his sore throat. While they were doing all this, Lou came by to see how things were going.

"Hi everybody," she said. "How's Wembley doing?"

"A little better, but I think he still has a long way to go," Gobo said.

"Feels like he's got quite a fever," Lou said, placing her hand against Wembley's cheek. "I'll go make him a moss pack. That should help bring it down a little."

Gobo nodded, and stroked Wembley's hair until the green Fraggle fell asleep.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hope you didn't think you were done with all the songs yet (insert evil laugh here). Anyway, the songs in this chapter are from the "Fraggle Rock" episode "The Garden Plot," and "Sesame Street."_


	22. Dr Boober's Diagnosis

During the night, Wembley somehow found himself in the clutches of Shifty and Max, only they seemed more monstrous this time. Max was turning the crank on the organ, though now the music coming out of it sounded a lot more sinister. Wembley also found that his wrists and ankles were tied with strings, attached to a wooden plank, being controlled by Shifty.

"Dance, little puppet, dance!" he shouted, and he laughed maniacally.

"No, no, please, Mr. Shifty!" Wembley begged. "I can't go on! Please let me stop!"

Shifty just laughed evilly, and moved the strings, forcing Wembley to dance.

"You'll dance forever if I have anything to say about it!" he shouted. "You're nothing but a little puppet!"

Wembley begged to be allowed to stop, but Shifty and Max just laughed at him. Suddenly, the green Fraggle felt himself being shaken.

"Wembley!" Gobo's voice shouted. "Wembley, wake up!"

Wembley suddenly jerked awake, and looked around. He realized he was in the Great Hall, laying on Nevada's lap. Gobo and Lou were there as well.

"Are you okay, Wembley?" Lou asked. "Sounds like you were having a bad nightmare!"

Wembley didn't answer right away. He was still feeling a little disoriented.

"Nightmare," he said. "It was . . . . it was just a nightmare?"

"Sure it was," Nevada said. "Sounded like it was a doozy, too!"

"What happened?" Gobo asked.

"I was a puppet," Wembley said. "On strings, being controlled by Mr. Shifty, and . . . . and he wasn't ever gonna let me stop dancing! It was so awful!"

Wembley suddenly burst into tears. Nevada gently picked up the green Fraggle, and held him so Wembley's head was resting on his shoulder. Then he started to rub his back, gently, and rock back and forth.

"Calm down, Wembley," he said. "It's okay now. It's all over."

"Yeah, you're safe with us," Gobo said. "Those two Silly Creatures are gone, and they can't hurt you anymore."

"Everything okay out here?" Mokey asked, as she, Red, and Boober came into the Great Hall.

"Yeah, how's a Fraggle supposed to get any sleep around here?" Red asked, with a yawn.

"Hey, Red, cut us a break!" Gobo shouted. "Wembley's not feeling well, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Red said.

"Don't worry, you guys, it's just a nightmare, that's all," Nevada said.

Mokey, Red, and Boober nodded, and then left to get some sleep. Nevada continued rocking back and forth, in order to lull Wembley back to sleep.

"You seem to be an expert at this sort of thing," Lou said. "You must have kids of your own."

"No, I'm not even married yet," Nevada said. "But Jerry has cousins who have kids, and I learned by watchin' him."

"Gobo?" Wembley asked, as Nevada laid him across his lap.

"Yeah, Wembley?" Gobo asked.

"Could you sing?" Wembley asked, taking his best friend's hand. "Sing the Glory Song you wrote. Please?"

"The Glory Song?" Nevada asked.

"Yeah, that's kind of a big deal here in Fraggle Rock," Gobo said. "See, each generation of Fraggles has it's own Glory Song, and the Storyteller picks the person who's going to write it out of her Gourd of Guidance, and the last time it came about, my name got picked so I had to write it."

"Yeah, and that was almost the end of the Rock," Lou said. "Remember, Gobo?"

"Boy, do I!" Gobo shouted. "I couldn't concentrate on it, so I asked everyone to stop singing, and the cave's light source, the Ditzies, began to die, because they live on music."

"And your song saved 'em, huh?" Nevada asked.

"Yep," Gobo said. "Okay, Wembley, if you want my Glory Song, then you've got my Glory song."

 _At times I lose the spark,_

 _Living in the dark._

 _How I wish my song could be a sign._

 _Sing it like a bird,_

 _Sunlight in my words,_

 _Learn to sing the golden sun to shine._

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Times I'm in the night,_

 _Can't locate the light._

 _How I wish I knew the right design._

 _Music in the air,_

 _Making brightness there,_

 _Learn to sing the golden sun to shine._

 _I sing_

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Shine down so we can see_

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Shine on, shine on me._

 _Till the glory comes to be_

 _Shine on, shine on me._

By the time Gobo finished singing, Wembley was sound asleep.

"You think he's gonna be okay?" Gobo asked.

"Hard to tell right now," Nevada said. "But then again, I don't know Fraggle ailments. I don't necessarily want to give him anythin' I would take if I were sick."

"Why not?"

"When I was really little, one of my aunts had a pet cat. We were visitin' one day, and the cat coughed up a hairball, and I thought she was sick, so I tried to give her an Aspirin, and my aunt told me that cats can't have Aspirin because it might kill them. I don't want to take any risks like that, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, and I don't blame you!"

Nevada nodded, and he, Gobo, and Lou made themselves comfortable in order to get some sleep.

The next morning, Wembley woke up the others with a coughing fit. It started out mildly, but then it began to turn violent. Gobo began to get nervous. He had never heard a cough sound that harsh before. Finally, the coughing fit subsided. Wembley then let out a long moan, and suddenly went limp. His face was flushed, he was sweating, and he began shivering. Gobo reached over and took Wembley's hand, and then he looked over at the others.

"I don't think he's doing too well, guys," he said.

"Ya think?" Red asked, sarcastically. "What makes you say that, detective?"

"Other than coughin' up a lung?" Nevada asked.

"His hand's all clammy," Gobo said, giving Red a glare.

"Yeah, and he's practically burning up," Lou commented, laying her hand against Wembley's forehead.

"Looks like he's got a case of the chills goin', too," Nevada said. "Combine that with a fever, and we've got problems."

"Oh no," Mokey said. "What do we do now? No Fraggle has ever been _this_ sick before!"

"Worst anyone's ever had around here is Pebble Pox," Red said.

"I'll go look it up in my Big Book of Strange Sicknesses," Boober said. "There should be some kind of cure in there!"

And with that, Boober ran off. Lou began to make up a moss pack, and she pressed it against Wembley's forehead.

"This should help a little," she said. "At least I hope."

"Actually, a fever isn't necessarily a bad thing," Nevada said. "It's the body's way of fighting off an infection. The trouble is findin' out what's causin' it here."

"My guess it's a throat issue," Gobo said. "Considering he was singing so much while those two crooks had him."

"Yeah, remember when the Silly Creatures poisoned our water?" Red asked. "Every single Fraggle except Boober came down with Throat Rot."

"That sounds dis _gust_ in'," Nevada said, making a face.

"It wasn't much fun for us, either," Gobo said.

"I found it!" Boober shouted. "Wembley's got a case of pneumobronchiaculosis."

"Gesundheit," Nevada said.

"Ooooh, that sounds _horrible_!" Mokey shouted.

"Is there a way to cure it?" Red asked.

"Yeah, I have just the thing," Boober said, taking out a jar of something brown and pasty, and sticking a spoon in it.

"Yuck!" Nevada shouted, holding his nose. "What _is_ that stuff?"

"Mud mustard," Boober said.

" _Mud_ mustard?!" Red shouted. "Ooooohhhh, _yeeeccchhh!_ "

"Oooh boy, that stuff smells _aw_ ful!" Nevada groaned. "Just _aw_ ful! _Bleah_!"

"And it tastes even worse!" Gobo shouted. "Every time any one of us Fraggles has a cold, Boober forces _mud_ mustard tea on us! Yuck!"

"I know it isn't pleasant, but it's good for coughs," Mokey said. "At least mud mustard tea is diluted with moonrose and sunlily."

"But it still tastes terrible!" Red shouted.

"If it tasted good, then you'd take more of it than you would need, and that would be dangerous," Boober said. "Unfortunately, with pneumobronchiaculosis, mud mustard has to be administered straight."

"Well, let's give it a shot," Nevada said, and he raised Wembley into an upright position.

"Here you go, Wembley," Boober said, giving the green Fraggle the mud mustard. Once it was down his throat, Wembley gagged, and began coughing again.

"I know it tastes disgusting, Wembley, but trust me, it will help you get better," Boober said.

"I know, Boober," Wembley said, weakly. "But it's still yucky!"

"Ugh!" Nevada shouted. "Put the lid on that stuff, Boober! The smell's makin' my eyes water!"

"Okay, but I have some bad news for you, Nevada," Boober said. "You're going to have to get used to the smell."

"What do you mean?" Gobo asked.

"You're going to have to administer a teaspoon of mud mustard to Wembley every two hours for the next forty-eight hours," Boober explained.

"What?!" Gobo shouted.

"Every two hours for the next two days?" Lou asked.

"You gotta be kiddin'!" Nevada shouted.

"No, he's not kidding," Red said, looking at Boober's book. "We really _do_ have to give Wembley a dose of . . . . ugh . . . . _mud_ mustard every two hours for the next two days!"

"Yep," Boober said. "Luckily, I have a nice, big stock of mud mustard seeds. I'll go make some more paste."

"I'll go let everyone know about this," Red said. "At least Wembley will get plenty of peace and quiet for the next two days."

"What makes you say that, Red?" Gobo asked.

"Because once everyone hears that we have to give Wembley _mud_ mustard for the next two days," Red said, "every single Fraggle will stay away from the Great Hall in droves!"

The others groaned as Red left, but they could definitely see her point.

"We're gonna have to do this in shifts," Nevada said, looking at his watch. "Unfortunately, my watch doesn't have an alarm on it. Gobo, go topside and see if Jerry's around. Ask him to bring you an alarm clock."

"Right," Gobo said, and he ran off toward Outer Space.

"Wake me up when you get back!" Nevada called after him, and then he stifled a yawn. "I could use forty winks."

Nevada made himself comfortable, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep. Wembley began moaning again. Lou leaned over, and began stroking his hair.

"Don't worry, Wembley," she said. "Everything's going to be okay. We'll take good care of you. Would you like me to sing you a song?"

"Yeah," Wembley said.

Lou nodded, and began singing.

 _Down a dark path through the willow woods,_

 _There is a pond where_

 _Dreamboats are docked in the cattail reeds._

 _I know - I've been there._

 _At the end of the trail_

 _When the last light has failed,_

 _You can turn in your day cares_

 _And hoist up your sails._

 _Catch a ride out on a dream..._

 _No fears, no cares._

 _I know - I've been there._

 _Wind on the pond strums the lily leaves._

 _Stars come, twinkling._

 _Moon on my cheek like a silky sleeve_

 _Starts me to thinking..._

 _That the wind wafts and blows,_

 _And the pond ebbs and flows,_

 _And the moon comes and goes as it pleases to._

 _The wind, and the pond, and the moon and me_

 _Dreaming our dreams..._

Once Lou was finished singing the lullaby, she looked down, and saw Wembley was asleep. She heaved a sigh, bent down, and gave him a small kiss on his forehead.

"You'll feel better soon," she said. "I know you will."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: the songs in this chapter are from the "Fraggle Rock" episodes "The Day the Music Died" and "The Beanbarrow, the Burden and the Bright Bouquet."_


	23. A Shocking Discovery

Once Gobo returned to Fraggle Rock with the alarm clock, Nevada began winding it.

"What do you need that for, Nevada?" Red asked.

"Like I said, my watch doesn't have an alarm on it," Nevada said. "And I am dead tired here."

"Oh, why don't you go back to Outer Space and get some rest?" Mokey suggested. "We'll take care of Wembley, you don't have to worry about that."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Gobo said. "You might wake Wembley up if you move, and he might get upset that you're leaving. We're trying to help him feel better, not feel more miserable."

"Hence the alarm clock," Nevada said. "I'm settin' it for two hours. This is for your benefits, too, actually, so you know just exactly when two hours has passed."

"Makes sense to me," Red said. "I just wish we didn't have to give him _mud_ mustard! The smell of it alone makes me sick!"

"There must be a good reason why he has to take such yucky medicine to get well," Gobo said. "I just can't think of what it is."

"You can always ask Boober," Mokey said. "Here he comes now."

"I've made up some more mud mustard for you guys," Boober said, handing Mokey the jar of the brown paste.

"Hey, Boober, why do we have to give Wembley this yucky stuff?" Red asked.

"Because that's the cure, of course!" Boober shouted. "Just remember, every two hours for the next forty-eight hours. And make sure you _don't_ skip a dose!"

"That's important, huh?" Lou asked.

"Extremely," Boober said. "Or else . . . ."

"Or else what?" Nevada asked.

"Never mind, I have laundry to do," Boober said. "Just make sure you don't skip any doses of the medicine!"

"Okay, Boober," Mokey said. "We won't!"

Boober nodded, and left. Nevada stretched his arms, leaned back, and closed his eyes for some shut eye. Lou continued to apply a moss pack to Wembley's forehead, attempting to bring down his fever. Gobo, Red, and Mokey just sat down, and watched Wembley sleep, since they couldn't think of anything else to do.

"I wonder what Boober meant by 'or else'?" Gobo asked.

"Knowing Boober, I don't think I even want to know," Red said. "Either that, or he's blowing it out of proportion."

"I don't think so," Mokey said. "After all, he wouldn't make anyone take mud mustard without diluting it if it wasn't serious."

Gobo was still curious. He was about to go find Boober and ask him, but the minute he got up, he heard Wembley coughing again.

"Goboooo . . . ." he moaned between coughs. "Goboooo . . . ."

"I'm right here, Wembley!" Gobo shouted, running over to the green Fraggle. "I'm right here, buddy. What's the matter?"

Wembley didn't answer. He just began shivering. Gobo sighed, took the blanket, and covered Wembley with it. He didn't want to overdo the blanket, because he was afraid he would make Wembley's fever worse. Wembley moaned again, and grabbed Gobo's hand.

"Stay here, Gobo," he said. "Please stay here with me."

"Don't worry, Wembley, I'm right here," Gobo said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Wembley smiled, squeezed Gobo's hand, and fell back asleep. Gobo smiled a little, made himself comfortable, and tried to get a little sleep himself.

Two hours later, the alarm clock went off, and Gobo was so startled by it, he hit the ceiling. Literally, in fact.

"AAAHHH!" he shouted.

"Take it easy, Gobo," Nevada said, with a yawn. "It's just the alarm clock."

"Oh," Gobo said, climbing down the wall. "Loud, isn't it?"

"It has to be if you want to wake up," Nevada said.

"Something like that would do it, all right," Lou said, dipping the spoon in the mud mustard. "You'd have to be dead not to react to that!"

"Or just completely out of it," Nevada said, looking at Wembley, who happened to be completely sacked out. He didn't even notice the alarm clock at all. However, most of the other Fraggles did.

"What was that noise?" Mokey asked.

"Sounded like clanging bells!" Red shouted. "Is someone having a party that I didn't know about?"

"It was just Nevada's alarm clock," Gobo explained.

"Well, it simply _ruined_ by artichoke souffle!" Boober shouted. "It flopped once it went off!"

"You want us to give Wembley this mud mustard stuff on time, or don't you?" Nevada asked, sitting Wembley up so Lou could give him the medicine.

"Oh," Boober said, sheepishly. "Yes, of course I do. Carry on with the use of that alarm clock then!"

"I'm surprised Wembley didn't react to the alarm," Red said.

"Poor kid must be sicker than we initially thought," Nevada replied.

"Well, pneumobronchiaculosis _is_ pretty serious," Boober said.

"Just _how_ serious are we talkin' here, Boober-baby?" Nevada asked.

"Ummmm . . . . ." Boober said, somewhat nervously. "I have to check and see if I can salvage what's left of my souffle!"

Boober beat a hasty retreat back to his cave. Red tried to grab him before he ran off, but Boober was too fast for her.

"I _hate_ it when he does that!" she shouted.

"Never mind, Red," Mokey said. "We'll worry about Boober later."

"Right," Gobo said. "We've got to focus on Wembley right now."

"Come on, ol' buddy, wake up," Nevada said, shaking Wembley's shoulder slightly. Wembley moaned and opened his eyes about halfway.

"Time for your medicine Wembley," Lou said.

"Do I have to?" Wembley whined.

"If I had my way, Wembley, I'd say no," Red said. "But Boober's making it a pretty big point to make sure you get a spoonful of, ick! _Mud_ mustard every two hours."

Wembley let out another whine, but allowed Lou to give him the spoonful anyway. Like he did before, Wembley gagged on it. Once he swallowed, he moaned, and began to lie back down.

"Go back to sleep, Wembley," Gobo said. "We'll wake you up again when it's time for another dose, okay?"

"Okay," Wembley said, coughing a little. "Nevada?"

"Yeah, kiddo?" Nevada asked, setting the alarm on the clock.

"Could you tell me the story about the hanging garden?" Wembley asked.

"Yeah, sure," Nevada said. "I was in a country called Iraq . . . . and it definitely was no picnic bein' _there_ , be _lieve_ me!"

"Is it a bad place?" Mokey asked.

"No, not really," Nevada said. "The media gives it a lot of bad press, that's all. It's just that when I was there, there was a lot of stuff goin' on that wasn't very pleasant."

"Then what were you doing there?" Red asked.

"I was lookin' for clues to an ancient treasure that was supposedly hidden somewhere in the Hangin' Gardens of ancient Babylon. Iraq is where Babylon used to be, and to this day, you can still see ruins of the Hangin' Gardens. I didn't want to cause any trouble while I was there, so I went to the local guides to see if they could give me any information on this ancient treasure, so I wouldn't have to go diggin' through these ruins, and . . . . ."

About halfway through the story, Wembley fell asleep. There wasn't much the others could do at this point, except let him rest, which was going to be short-lived. Half an hour later, Wembley began having a coughing fit again. Both Nevada and Gobo had to steady him so he wouldn't fall over on his face. By the time he finished coughing, he felt so dizzy, he could barely even stay in an upright position, and he wound up passing out.

"Boy, he's really bad off, isn't he?" Gobo asked.

"You said it," Nevada said, wiping away some sweat from Wembley's forehead. "I can't tell if that mud mustard's doin' any good or not."

"Unfortunately, Boober's made himself scarce, so I can't ask him. It's weird, though, every time we bring it up, he changes the subject."

"You don't think he's hidin' somethin' about how serious this is, do you?"

"Yeah, actually, I think I do. You know what? I'm gonna ask him about this right now! If Wembley wakes up, tell him I've gone to talk to Boober and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Got it."

Gobo stood up, and walked directly to Boober's hole. Boober was washing a load of dirty socks, and didn't even notice Gobo there.

"Boober, we have to talk," Gobo said.

"Yah!" Boober shouted, jumping about a foot. "Oh, Gobo. You startled me. Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry, but seriously, I need to know about this numero-bronco-whatever it is Wembley has."

"Pneumobronchiaculosis."

"Well, whatever you call it, every time we bring it up, you duck the subject!"

"Look, Gobo, I really don't want to talk about it."

"But Boober, you _like_ talking about diseases like this! You _love_ bringing up things like plague and pestilence! Why stop now? What aren't you telling us, Boober?"

"Gobo, seriously, don't make me talk about this!"

"It's not contagious, is it? Is that what you're worried about?"

"No, it's not contagious."

"Then _what's_ the problem? Tell me, Boober!"

"All right, Gobo. Just remember, you asked for it."

Boober took a deep breath, and prepared himself for this.

"Wembley is in the advanced stages of pneumobronchiaculosis," he said. "It would have been a lot easier on him if we had caught it sooner, but unfortunately, we didn't."

"Well, how were we to know?" Gobo asked.

"I know, it's a very difficult illness to diagnose until we get to the advanced stages," Boober sighed. "The book said at this stage, the only thing that can be done is to administer straight mud mustard paste every two hours for two days straight, and even _that_ isn't guaranteed to work. I didn't want to say anything about this in front of Wembley, because it would only scare him. Matter of fact, I get scared thinking about it. I figured if I didn't say anything about it, then nobody would have to worry, but . . . . ."

"Just what exactly are you trying to tell me, Boober?"

Boober whimpered a little. He wasn't prepared for this. He knew Gobo was getting impatient, so he finally just decided to say it straight out, and not try to sugar coat it.

"There's a good chance that Wembley could die," he said, finally.

Gobo stood there with his mouth hanging open. He felt like he had just received a punch in the stomach. He wanted to say something but he just couldn't. He couldn't even move.

"I'm sorry I had to say it, Gobo," Boober said. "But you were the one who wanted to know!"

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Gobo asked, finally.

"I don't know why, I just didn't! Like I said, I didn't want to scare Wembley. Remember when he had the Pebble Pox? He was convinced he was going to die because I blew contagion out of proportion for him."

"How do I know you're not blowing pneumo-whatever-it-is out of proportion, too?"

Boober said nothing, pulled out his book, and opened it to the pages on pneumobronchiaculosis. Gobo read through it, and he felt his stomach drop. It had said what Boober had told him.

"How will we know the mud mustard worked?" Gobo asked.

"If he shows any improvement between his first dose and his last," Boober said. "Sometimes, you don't know until sometime _after_ the last dose. How many doses has he had so far?"

"Only two, but I think we're almost ready for dose number three pretty soon."

"And have there been any improvements?"

"Not yet. But like I said, we've only done two doses."

"Well, there's a chance. I can't tell you how good it is, though. Pneumobronchiaculosis is a rare disease. All we can do now is hope for the best."

"I think we'd better tell the others about this."

Boober didn't think that was such a good idea, but there was no changing Gobo's mind about this. And they were just as shocked as he was!

"Boober, why didn't you tell us this sooner?!" Red shouted.

"I just _couldn't_!" Boober shouted. "Not in front of Wembley, anyway."

"I don't think it's going to matter," Mokey said. "He's been asleep so much, I doubt if he'd even hear the news."

"We're going to have to tell Lou and Nevada," Red said. "Though I'd hate to be the one to do it."

"If you girls will tackle Lou, I'll tell Nevada," Gobo said. "And I think that's going to be tough, because he's in there with Wembley."

The others nodded, and Gobo, Red, and Mokey went into the Great Hall. Nevada was humming a song while he rocked Wembley gently in his arms, and Lou was applying another moss pack to Wembley's forehead.

"What's going on?" Gobo asked.

"Another nightmare about his stint as an organ grinder's monkey," Nevada explained, "topped off with a bad coughin' fit."

"You okay, Wembley?" Gobo asked.

"No," Wembley said. "I feel really bad, Gobo. Really, _really_ bad! Even worse than I felt when I had the Pebble Pox!"

"Poor fella," Gobo said, stroking the green Fraggle's hair. "I know it's no fun being sick."

"I'm starting to think I'll never get better," Wembley moaned.

"Hey, come on, now," Nevada scolded. "Don't talk like that! Of _course_ you're gonna get better! You just need rest, that's all."

"Really?" Wembley asked.

"Yeah," Nevada said. "Come on, guys, let's give him a song, what do you say?"

Gobo and Lou nodded. Nevada shifted his position, cradled Wembley as if he were a baby, and began singing.

 _Nevada: One little star, all alone in the sky_

 _Do you ever get lonely as the twilight drifts by?_

 _Lou: One little star, in the darkening blue_

 _Do you long for another just the way that I do?_

 _Gobo: Sky begins to fill; darkness ends the day_

 _Someone who I love is far away._

 _Lou: One little star, reaching far through the night_

 _Do you shine on my someone? Are we sharing your light?_

 _Oh, one little star, shine on us both tonight._

 _Nevada: One little star_

 _Gobo & Lou: One little star_

 _Nevada: Reaching far through the night_

 _Gobo & Lou: Reaching far through the night_

 _Nevada: Would you shine on my someone_

 _Gobo & Lou: Shine on my someone_

 _Nevada: So we're sharing your light?_

 _Gobo & Lou: Please, share your light_

 _All: Oh, one little star, shine on us all tonight._

When the trio finished the song, they noticed that Wembley was asleep again.

"That was nice," Mokey said, quietly.

"Thanks," Lou said, placing another moss pack on Wembley's forehead. "I just hope this fever breaks soon."

"Uhhh, why don't you come with us, Lou?" Red asked. "Let's go for a little walk. You could use a break."

"Oh, that's okay, Red," Lou said. "I'm okay here."

"Please, Lou?" Mokey asked. "As a favor to us?"

"I don't know," Lou said. "I'd hate to leave Wembley in this state."

"Go ahead, Lou," Nevada said. "Gobo and I have everythin' under control here."

"Okay, if you say so," Lou said, shrugging. She stood up, and followed Red and Mokey out of the Great Hall.

"Is somethin' wrong?" Nevada asked, turning to Gobo. "I'm gettin' this bad feelin' in my stomach."

"Yeah, something's wrong," Gobo said, with a sigh. "I talked to Boober about this nomo-brony-osis thing. And I found out why he kept avoiding the subject."

"What's wrong, Gobo?"

Gobo felt a huge lump in his throat. He wasn't sure if he could even tell Nevada about this. He swallowed hard, and decided to just do it.

"Boober said that there's a pretty good chance Wembley might not recover from this," he said.

"Oh," Nevada said. "I see."

"That's why we can't skip any of the doses of the mud mustard," Gobo continued. "Boober said that if we skip even one dose, Wembley's chances of not pulling through are greater."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Tell me somethin', Gobo. Did Boober say he _might_ not make it, or did he say he _will_ not make it?"

"Might not, why?"

"Because there's also a chance that Wembley might recover. I know it's hard to think about it, and hard not to worry, but we've got to be positive about this, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Don't worry, Gobo. I'm sure everythin's goin' to be fine."

Gobo nodded. It was about all he could do. He looked at Wembley, and thought the first time he they had met. Gobo was a toddler, and Wembley was just a baby. Wembley's mother had to go out to help Mokey's mother gather radishes, and left him in the care of Gobo's Uncle Matt for a few hours, and it wound up turning into a few days, since Wembley's mother wound up injured while radish gathering. It wasn't very serious, but she had to remain in bed, and she wasn't able to take proper care of a baby Fraggle while laying in bed. Gobo didn't like that at all, and grew a bit jealous of baby Wembley, because he was taking up a lot of Uncle Matt's time and attention. Eventually, the Storyteller had convinced Gobo that Uncle Matt still loved him, it was just that babies need a lot of attention. When Gobo returned to the cave, he found Wembley crying and Matt was trying to console him but nothing he did could get him to stop. The Storyteller suggested he let Gobo hold the baby Fraggle. Once Gobo held Wembley, he stopped crying. Matt also let Gobo give Wembley his bottle, and help him take care of Wembley for the rest of his stay with Gobo and Matt. By the time Wembley's mother was well again, Gobo was sorry to see Wembley leave, but Wembley's mother told him he could come and play with him whenever he wanted, and the two Fraggles were practically inseparable from that moment on.

"He'll be okay, Gobo," Nevada said, patting the orange Fraggle's back.

"I hope you're right, Nevada," Gobo said, though he didn't sound very sure.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song in this chapter comes from "Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird." The little backstory about how Gobo and Wembley met is something I came up with myself and is not to be taken as canon._


	24. Friendship

It was the twelve hour mark. By this point, all of Fraggle Rock knew of the seriousness of Wembley's condition, and everyone was worried. It didn't look like Wembley was improving at all.

"Look on the bright side," Mokey said, as she shut off the alarm clock. "At least he isn't getting any worse!"

"I guess so," Lou said, though she didn't sound very convinced.

"How much longer do we have to do this?" Red asked, as she prepared the mud mustard.

"Thirty-six more hours," Nevada said, making a mark on the wall with a piece of chalk. He had been counting out how many doses of mud mustard had been administered so far.

"Ugh," Red groaned. "Okay, Wembley, open up. Time for another dose."

"Awww . . . ." Wembley whined. "I don't _want_ any more mud mustard!"

"You want to get better, dontcha?" Red asked.

Wembley let out another whine, and allowed Red to give him the spoonful. As usual, he gagged on it, but managed to get it down. Then he let out another whine.

"Why does the treatment have to be worse than the sickness?" he asked.

"Trust us, Wembley," Boober said, "it may seem bad, but it's going to help you. At least I hope it does."

The others had to agree on that one. Wembley moaned, and began coughing a little. This was one good sign. His coughing fits had decreased since the last dose of mud mustard. Except now, every time he coughed, it hurt in his stomach, chest, and back.

"Ooooh, that hurts!" he groaned.

"Yeah, I bet it does," Nevada said. "You've given some muscles you don't use often quite a workout with that cough of yours. They're overworked."

"Yeah, that's what happens when you work your muscles too hard," Red said. "It hurts. But it shouldn't last too long. A couple of days to a week, maybe."

"Maybe you'd be more comfortable if you were in your own room," Nevada suggested.

"But . . . but you can't get into my room, Nevada," Wembley said.

"I know, but I honestly think you'd feel a little better if you were in there, in your own bed, don't you think?"

"Well . . . ."

"Come on, Wembley," Mokey said, as she tried to pick up the green Fraggle from Nevada's lap. "We'll carry you back to your room, and you can sleep in your own bed."

"No!" Wembley shouted, suddenly. "No, please let me stay with Nevada! Please, I want Nevada! I don't want to go back to my room if Nevada can't get in there! Please!"

Wembley began thrashing then, screaming and pleading to stay with Nevada. This resulted in a coughing fit. Mokey was so surprised, she backed up immediately. The others looked on, feeling a little nervous. Nevada immediately lifted Wembley to his shoulder, and began rubbing his back.

"Shhhh," he said, softly. "Shhh, it's okay, Wembley. Calm down, it's all right."

"I don't want you to leave me, Nevada," Wembley said, tearfully. "Not now. Please don't go away! Don't go away again!"

"It's okay, Wembley," Nevada repeated. "It's okay. I won't go until you say so. It's all right."

"Well, if you don't need me," Gobo said, starting to feel a little jealous again, "I'll just go back to our room, and . . . ."

"Gobo! No!" Wembley shouted. "I don't want you to go away, just 'cause I want Nevada!"

"Wembley, Gobo's been up for hours with you," Boober said. "He needs some sleep, and so does Nevada."

"Not to mention Lou," Red said.

"Why don't you let us put you in your own bed?" Boober asked. "That way, at least Gobo can be with you."

"But . . . . but then Nevada can't!" Wembley shouted. "And . . . . and if I stay with Nevada, then Gobo will feel bad because he'll think I like Nevada better . . . . why can't I have both of them with me at the same time?"

"What about Lou?" Red asked, starting to feel a little cross that Wembley kept leaving Lou out of his recovery. "She's been out here taking care of you, too, you know! Who do you think's been applying moss packs to your forehead, and singing you lullabies, and helping Gobo and Nevada give you your medicine, and kissing you goodnight? I mean, what is she, chopped lima beans?"

"I'm sorry, Lou," Wembley said, starting to feel bad about this whole thing. "I'm sorry I keep saying I want Gobo and Nevada, and leaving you out! I know you're just trying to help me feel better. I'm glad you're helping me, and I want you with me, too, but . . . . Nevada . . . . and Gobo . . . . and . . . . and . . . . oh, I'm so confused!"

Wembley suddenly burst into hysterical tears, and began coughing violently again. Nevada stood up, and began walking around the Great Hall, rubbing Wembley's back, trying to soothe him. He didn't think just sitting there rocking him back and forth would do it this time, and he needed to get up and stretch, or else he felt as if his legs were going to fall off, though he didn't say this to the Fraggles.

"Way to go, Red," Gobo said, sarcastically, glaring at the pigtailed Fraggle. "Now look what you've done!"

"Well, sorr _eeee_!" Red shouted, glaring right back at Gobo. "But Lou has been breaking her back out here, doing her best, and Wembley doesn't appreciate it!"

"Red, Wembley _does_ appreciate it," Lou said. "Just because he says he wants Nevada and Gobo doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate what I've been doing for him!"

"I just don't want you to be left out!"

"I understand, Red. But sometimes, when you're really sick, there are times when you want a certain person to be with you, because it makes you feel comforted to know they're there. That's why he wants to stay close to Nevada. And that's why he doesn't want Gobo to leave him. It helps him feel better."

Red nodded. She looked down at her feet, and started to feel bad. Once again, her temper had gotten the better of her. She heaved a sigh, and walked over to where Nevada was, pacing the floor with Wembley. His coughing had died down, and his crying had been reduced to small whimpers.

"Wembley?" Red said, tentatively. "I'm sorry I yelled at you about Lou. I didn't mean to make you feel bad because you kept saying you wanted Nevada and Gobo and not her. I thought you didn't appreciate all the hard work she put in for you."

"But I do, Red," Wembley said, coughing a little. "I really do. And I do want her with me. I want Gobo and Nevada, _and_ Lou to stay with me. I just wish they could."

"We can," Nevada said. "We'll stay in the Great Hall. We can just keep doin' what we've been doin'. You don't have to go back to your room. I just suggested it because I thought you'd be more comfortable."

"No, I'm fine right where I am," Wembley said, snuggling his head into Nevada's neck. "As long as you, and Gobo, and Lou are with me."

"Okay," Red said, nodding. "But Wembley, could you do one thing for me?"

"Sure, Red," Wembley said. "What's that?"

"Get well, okay?" Red asked.

"Okay," Wembley said. Then he yawned, and fell asleep.

Hours passed. Wembley spent most of the time sleeping. His fever hadn't gone down at all. Lou stopped applying moss packs, and instead helped Nevada and Gobo give him sponge baths. Some of the other Fraggles began lending a hand as well. The Storyteller told him some funny stories about Gobo's uncle Matt to keep his nightmares at bay. Gillis Fraggle sang him a few songs, so Gobo, Nevada, and Lou could rest their vocal chords for awhile. Large Marvin helped administer the mud mustard at one of the designated times. Of course, Wembley was whiny about it as ever.

"Don't make me take any more mud mustard, Gobo," he whined.

"It's for your own good, Wembley," Gobo said.

"Come on, Wembley," Large Marvin said, in a sing-song voice. "Here comes the thimblebug going into his ne-est!"

"Marvin, you have _got_ to be kidding," Gobo said, giving Large Marvin a weird look.

"It always worked for me when I refused to eat," Large Marvin said, shrugging.

"When did _you_ ever refuse to eat?" Red asked.

Wembley sighed, took the mud mustard, and, as usual, choked on it.

"There, now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Large Marvin asked. The others rolled their eyes and groaned.

The time seemed to pass slowly around the Rock. Everyone was practically on pins and needles. Finally, it was time to administer the last dose of the mud mustard.

"Last one, kiddo, we promise," Nevada said, holding Wembley in an upright position, and administering the medicine. Of course, Wembley choked on it.

"I don't think I'll _ever_ get used to mud mustard," he moaned, once the coughing subsided.

"At least you won't have to take any more for awhile," Gobo said.

"What do we do now, Boober?" Mokey asked.

"Now we wait until tomorrow morning," Boober said. "And that's going to be the hardest part at this point."

"You said it," Red said.

"But it's the only thing we can do, I guess," Gobo said.

"That, and get some sleep," Nevada said, stifling a yawn. "It's not gonna do anybody any good just sittin' around waitin' and worryin'. There's nothin' else we can do until tomorrow, anyway."

"Nevada's right," Mokey said, yawning herself.

The others agreed. Mokey, Red, Boober, and the other Fraggles went to their caves. Lou and Gobo stayed out in the Great Hall with Wembley and Nevada. Wembley was already asleep. Lou kissed the green Fraggle on the cheek, curled up against Nevada's leg, and went to sleep herself. Nevada yawned, stretched, leaned against a rock, and fell asleep. Gobo climbed into Nevada's lap, sitting across from Wembley, and tried to get some sleep himself.

Late that night, Gobo woke up, and looked over at Wembley. He was still asleep. The Great Hall was very quiet. Everyone else was asleep as well, including Lou and Nevada. Gobo sighed, and crawled over toward Wembley.

"Wembley?" he whispered. "You awake, ol' buddy?"

Wembley didn't answer. Gobo didn't really expect him to. He looked down at his best friend, and sighed.

"I know you don't blame me for any of this, Wembley, but I still can't help feeling responsible for this," he said. "I'm so sorry about everything. If I hadn't gotten so mad at you over spending all of your time up at that cave entrance waiting for Nevada to come back . . . . I shouldn't have tried to dissuade you from wanting to go look for him. I should have tried to help you do it. Instead, I just let jealousy get the better of me. I should have known better than that. You've got the biggest heart in all of Fraggle Rock. It's probably as big as the whole of Outer space, or even bigger! I should have realized you've got enough room in there for me, and Red, and Boober, and Mokey, and all of us Fraggles, and Cotterpin Doozer, and still have plenty room leftover for Nevada."

Wembley still didn't answer. Gobo took the green Fraggle's hand, and gave it a squeeze.

"I wasn't prepared for something like this," he said. "I was expecting us to be older than the World's Oldest Fraggle when the time came for us to . . . . to . . . . I just can't say it! I can't say it because I can't accept it! I just _can't_ accept it! There's just too many things to say to you, Wembley."

 _Old friend, dear friend_

 _Friend who might go away_

 _I want to tell you I love you_

 _I wish you'd hear_

 _Things that I meant to say_

 _I want to tell you I love you_

 _Always you believed in me_

 _But you never knew_

 _Old friend, dear friend_

 _So much I long to say_

 _First of all, most of all_

 _I love you_

Gobo gave Wembley a hug, heaved a sigh, and lied down next to him.

"See you in the morning, Wembley," he said. "I hope."

Gobo heaved another sigh, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

The next morning, all the Fraggles gathered in the Great Hall, waiting for something to happen, and the wait was driving them all crazy. Boober was practically tying his tail in knots. Nevada put two of his fingers to Wembley's neck, and then turned to the Fraggles.

"He's got a pulse," he said.

"But for how long?" Boober asked.

At that moment, Wembley started to move. First, his nose twitched. Then, he grunted. Finally, he yawned, sat up, and stretched. He also managed to stay in an upright position without Nevada holding him up.

"Somebody pinch me, I think I'm seeing things," Red said. Immediately, she felt a pinch on her behind.

"Ow!" she shouted. "Mar _lon!_ "

"Well, you said you wanted someone to pinch you!" Marlon shouted, sounding a little _too_ happy to have complied with Red's request. Red responded by giving him a bop on the head as hard as she could.

"How are you feeling this morning, Wembley?" Mokey asked.

"A lot better now," Wembley said. "Still kinda yucky, though, but not as bad as I was before."

"YAHOO!" Boober shouted, jumping into the air. Then he started dancing around like an idiot, which earned him several strange looks, as this was something he did not do normally.

"Boober, what _are_ you doing?" Gobo asked.

"Sorry, Gobo," Boober said, as he calmed down a little. "I just got a little excited. Wembley's going to be okay!"

The Great Hall then exploded in Fraggles cheering, jumping around, singing, and dancing. Wembley looked around, a little confused.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Think we should tell him?" Nevada asked.

"Tell me what?" Wembley asked.

"Yeah, go ahead and tell him," Boober said. "The worst is over now."

"The truth is, Wembley, we weren't sure you were going to make it," Gobo said. "That's why we had to give you all that mud mustard. It was the only thing that was going to help you. And it worked!"

"Aw, Gobo," Wembley said, "it wasn't the mud mustard that did it."

"What do you mean?" Boober asked. "Of _course_ it was the mud mustard that made you well again!"

"Yeah, what else _could_ it have been, silly?" Mokey asked.

"Nevada," Wembley said. "And Gobo, and Lou . . . . and Red, and Mokey, and Boober, and . . . . and everybody!"

"Huh?" Feenie asked. "I don't get it!"

"I'm not sure I'm followin' that logic, kiddo," Nevada said.

"You guys took care of me when I was really sick," Wembley explained. "You didn't have to do it, but you did."

"Of _course_ we did, you little green nut!" Gobo shouted, with a laugh. "After all, you're my best friend! I couldn't just sit by and wait for you to get better! You knew I'd have to help it along!"

"Yeah, I couldn't leave my biggest fan in his hour of need, now could I?" Nevada asked.

"We all love you, Wembley," Mokey said, giving the green Fraggle a big hug.

"Yeah, and we're glad you're feeling better," Lou said, planting a big kiss on Wembley's cheek.

"Awww, gee . . . ." Wembley said, blushing a little.

"Just promise us you'll _never_ do something stupid like that again," Gobo said.

"Oh, I promise!" Wembley shouted. "I promise I'll never run away from home again, and I promise I won't make any new friends, Gobo. I don't want to make you jealous."

"Now wait a minute, what is this not makin' new friends stuff?" Nevada asked.

"That's what Gobo got so upset about," Wembley said. "He thought I liked you better than him, Nevada."

"Yeah, I was pretty jealous of you, Nevada," Gobo said. "I didn't come out and say it when Wembley and I had our fight, but that's what sparked it."

"You know somethin', fellas?" Nevada asked. "My grandfather used to tell me somethin'. He got it from an old song my grandmother used to sing when she was a Girl Scout. He used to say to me, 'make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver, the other is gold.' You see what I'm sayin'?"

"Not really," Red said. "What's silver and gold?"

"Metals that are _really_ valuable up where I come from," Nevada said. "We 'Silly Creatures' consider them treasures. And sometimes, we 'Silly Creatures' value friendship. Look at me and Jerry. We weren't always best friends. We didn't grow up together or anythin' like that. Matter of fact, we met on my adventure lookin' for the Eye of the Tiger, and we've been partners ever since. But just because I made friends with Jerry didn't mean I stopped bein' friends with other people in my life. See, sometimes, things happen, and friends sometimes drift apart, but that doesn't always mean they stop bein' friends. My grandfather told me that while it's always good to make new friends, you should also treasure your old friends. Both are very valuable."

"I think I get it now," Gobo said. "And you're right, Nevada. After all, you can never have too many friends!"

"Right," Red said. "The more friends you have, the bigger parties you have! Whoo hoo!"

Everyone began laughing as Red began bouncing all over the cave. Nevada laughed, and shook his head.

"I don't think I'll ever understand these Fraggles," he said.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: The song in this chapter comes from "The Christmas Toy," though I modified one of the lyrics a little._


	25. Always Together

Nevada stayed down in Fraggle Rock for a few more days. He wanted to make sure Wembley was going to make a full recovery. By this time, Gobo was in charge of taking care of him, since he finally went back to their cave, and spent the rest of his recovery in his own bed, instead of Nevada's lap. This also allowed him and Red to play "Fling the Fraggle" in the pond.

Finally, Wembley was back to his old, happy-go-lucky, though often indecisive self, running around the Rock with the other Fraggles. As he was running around, he made a flying leap into the pond, but was caught in midair by Nevada.

"I see you're feelin' better," he said.

"Yeah," Wembley said. "All better now. Thanks to you and Gobo and everybody."

"You're welcome. So, think you'll be able to handle me leavin' this time? I don't want to wear out my welcome, you know."

Wembley then heaved a sigh. He still didn't want Nevada to leave, but he knew he had to go. Gobo walked over to the two, and noticed Wembley looking a little down.

"What's the matter, Wembley?" he asked.

"I know Nevada has to leave," Wembley said. "But I still don't want him to."

"I know, Wembley," Gobo said. "But Nevada can't live down here forever. Just like you can't live in Outer Space forever."

"We all have places where we belong," Nevada said. "I belong out in Outer Space, as you call it, and you belong in Fraggle Rock. I mean, I really like all of you guys, you're really fun to be around. But I have to go back. I'll miss you guys a lot, but we'll always be friends."

"We will?" Wembley asked.

"Sure we will," Nevada said. "You know how Gobo's uncle writes to him? I promise I'll write to you, Wembley. As often as I can."

"Really?"

"Really. Come on, let's have a little fun before I go, okay?"

"Okay!"

Nevada put Wembley on his shoulders, and began to walk off down one of the tunnels. Gobo watched them go, feeling a little twinge of jealousy, but he shook it off, remembering the words Nevada's grandfather had said about friends.

 _Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver, the other is gold._

Gobo was about to go back to his cave, when he suddenly heard Nevada calling him.

"Come on, Gobo, what are you waitin' for?" he asked.

"Yeah, you coming with us or not?" Wembley asked. "I want both of my favorite friends with me!"

"You bet, Wembley!" Gobo shouted, and he ran to catch up with Wembley and Nevada. Then he began to sing, as the trio walked around the cave tunnels.

 _Gobo: Every day the world begins again_

 _Sunny skies or rain_

 _Come and follow me_

 _Nevada: Every sunrise shows me more and more_

 _So much to explore_

 _Come and follow me_

 _Both: Every morning every day_

 _Every evening calling me away_

 _Wembley: While the sun goes 'round_

 _I'll still be found_

 _Following the sound_

 _Something's calling me_

 _Gobo: When the world goes drifting back to bed_

 _Wembley: Memories in my head_

 _Nevada: Wonders follow me_

 _All: Every morning every day_

 _Every evening calling me away_

 _Every morning every day_

 _Every evening calling me away_

Once the trio returned to the Rock, it was time for Nevada to leave for good. He and Jerry had to get going.

"I've got to go where the adventure takes me," he said.

"Good luck on it," Gobo said, giving Nevada a hug. "And thanks for everything."

"Come back and see us again, okay?" Mokey asked. "We'll keep the staircase up."

"What about Large Marvin?" Nevada asked. "Won't the temptation be too great for him?"

"Aw, you don't have to worry about that," Red said. "Cotterpin let me in on a little secret."

"Yeah? What's that?" Nevada asked.

"She told me they made these Doozer sticks out of _mud_ mustard seeds," Red said. "Not one Fraggle will touch them if _that's_ the case!"

Nevada burst out laughing, picked up Red, threw her into the air, and swung her in several circles before giving her a big hug.

"Next to Wembley, I think I'm gonna miss you the most, Red!" he shouted. "How 'bout one more fling for the road?"

"Okay!" Red shouted, excitedly.

Nevada swung Red between his legs, and flung her directly into the pond.

"Yahoooo!" Red shouted, as she flew, and splashed down. "I _love_ that game!"

"Nevada," Mokey said, "we all talked about this the other day, and we decided something."

"We want you to have something special to thank you for all you've done," Boober said, holding something behind his back. "If it weren't for you, we never would have found Wembley in Outer Space. Or maybe we would have, but he would be laying in a ditch, nothing but a rotting corpse, all mutilated, and dismembered, and . . . . ."

" _BOO_ BER!" every last Fraggle in the Rock shouted in unison.

"Sorry," Boober said, sheepishly.

"Yeah, Nevada," Wembley said. "You _did_ save my life, you know."

"Well, that's what friends are for, you know," Nevada said.

"Anyway," Gobo said, "we Fraggles have a tradition of giving neat things to friends, like when the World's Oldest Fraggle gave your grandfather that neat rollie, and then he gave it to you, and then you gave it to Wembley."

"Yeah," Wembley said, taking out Nevada's lucky marble. "And you know what I'm gonna do?"

"What?" Nevada said.

"I'm gonna give this really neat rollie to my best friend in the whole world," Wembley said. "Here, Gobo. I want you to have this."

"But, Wembley, this is the rollie Nevada gave to you!" Gobo shouted. "The one you didn't want to give up! I can't take it from you, it's special to you!"

"I know it is, Gobo," Wembley said. "But you're my best friend, and you'll always be my best friend, no matter how many new friends I make, and because Nevada's rollie is so special to me, I want you to have it, because you're special to me, too."

Wembley put the marble in Gobo's hands. Gobo looked at it, all the rainbow colors reflecting off the light, shining brightly. Several of the Fraggles hadn't seen it yet.

"It's so pretty," Tosh said.

"It's almost as pretty as a perfect blue rollie," Rumple said.

"Gosh, Wembley," Gobo said. "I don't know what to say."

"That's okay, Gobo," Wembley said. "Just as long as we're still best friends. Aren't we?"

"You _bet_ we are!" Gobo shouted, giving the green Fraggle the biggest hug he could muster.

"See, Nevada, that's how Fraggle gifts work," Mokey said.

"Hit it, every Fraggle!" Gillis shouted.

 _Gobo: La, la, la, la, la_

 _Wembley: Squeetily-dee, squeetily boing_

 _Gobo: La, la, la-la, la, la-la_

 _Wembley: Deedly-dee, diddly doing_

 _Gobo: La-la, la, la, la,_

 _Wembley: La, la, la_

 _Both: La-la_

 _Wembley: Uh-uh!_

 _Both: Pass it on!_

 _When it's nice and bright,_

 _And it brings delight,_

 _Let your heart choose right,_

 _Gotta_

 _Wembley: Uh-uh!_

 _Both: Pass it on!_

 _When it rolls real good,_

 _Like a rollie should,_

 _Then it's understood,_

 _Gonna_

 _Wembley: Uh-uh!_

 _Both: Pass it on._

 _Red: When you're giving love away,_

 _Love will come again to stay._

 _What you give is what you gain,_

 _When you_

 _Wembley: Uh-uh!_

 _Red: Pass it on!_

 _Mokey: When I give a gift to you,_

 _I know you're gonna give it too._

 _That's why givin's what we do,_

 _As we_

 _Wembley: Uh-uh!_

 _Mokey: Pass it on!_

 _Wembley: Pass it on!_

 _All: Pass it on_

 _Wembley: Pass it on!_

 _All: Pass it on_

 _Wembley: Wish upon_

 _All: Wish upon all the good things that you do._

 _Wembley: Pass it on!_

 _All: Pass it on_

 _Wembley: Pass it on!_

 _All: Pass it on_

 _Wembley: When it's gone,_

 _All: When it's gone,_

 _It will bring good luck to you._

 _When you're giving love away,_

 _Love will come again to stay._

 _What you give is what you gain,_

 _When you_

 _Wembley: Uh-uh!_

 _All: Pass it on._

 _When I give a gift to you,_

 _I know you're gonna give it too._

 _That's why givin's what we do,_

 _As we_

 _Wembley: Uh-uh!_

 _All: Pass it on._

 _Wembley: Uh-uh!_

 _All: Pass it on!_

"I'm not sure I understand the concept," Nevada said. "But it sure sounds like an interestin' tradition."

"It's the best Fraggle tradition we have," Red said.

"Yeah, and smoothies and rollies are the neatest things you can give to a friend," Wembley said.

"Which is why we all decided we wanted you to have this, Nevada," Boober said, revealing what he was hiding behind his back, which was a large, shiny, iridescent blue pebble.

"The perfect blue rollie," Boober went on. "The rarest pebble in the universe."

Boober put the rollie in Nevada's hand. Nevada stared at it, wide eyed and slightly slack-jawed. He had heard Boober talk about this, but he didn't know if he'd actually see it. And Boober had been right, it _was_ more impressive than the marble his grandfather had given him.

"I've never seen anythin' like this in my entire life," he said.

"We have a legend about the perfect blue rollie," Gobo said. "It says it's the greatest give you can give. And we all want you to have it, Nevada. It's our way of saying thanks for what you've done for Wembley."

"That's really nice of you guys," Nevada said. "But I can't take it, it means a lot to all of you! It's your greatest treasure!"

"Now, Nevada," Mokey said, "we've all discussed it, and we all took a vote on it, and we all really _do_ want you to have it."

All the other Fraggles began talking at once, urging Nevada to keep the rollie. Finally, Nevada put the rollie in his jacket pocket, and smiled.

"Thanks, you guys," he said. "You know what I'm gonna do with it?"

"What?" Boober asked.

"I think I'm gonna give it to Jerry," he said. "After all, if it weren't for him, we never would have found Wembley in the first place."

"Now you're getting the idea, Nevada!" Gobo shouted.

All of the Fraggles cheered. Finally, it was time for Nevada to head off, and he started up the stairway. Every last Fraggle followed him to the cave entrance.

"I'm still gonna miss you a lot, Nevada," Wembley said.

"I'm gonna miss you, too, Wembley," Nevada said, picking up Wembley, and giving him a hug. "And like I said, I promise I'll write to you, and I'll come visit again someday. I just want you to remember somethin' about friendship."

"What's that?"

"My grandfather used to tell me your friends are always with you, no matter where they are, and no matter where you are. You may be far away, but you're always together, no matter what. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I think I do. We'll always be together, won't we? In our hearts, right?"

"You got it, kiddo!"

Nevada put Wembley down, said goodbye to the other Fraggles, and started off. The Fraggles all called goodbye, and waved to Nevada as he walked off. Then, they began singing.

 _Old friends, new friends_

 _Here where we ought to be_

 _We'll be together someday_

 _Old friends, new friends_

 _Living in harmony_

 _We'll be together someday_

 _Some things change with passing years_

 _Let this feeling stay_

 _Old friends, new friends_

 _Hoping we'll always be_

 _Here with each other_

 _Together again someday_

The End

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE: The songs in this chapter are from the "Fraggle Rock" episodes "Beginnings" and "The Perfect Blue Rollie," and from "The Christmas Toy," except I changed the lyrics slightly in order to make it work. If this were an actual movie, I'd have the ending credits song be "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Gladys Knight._


End file.
